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A major natural gas processing terminal in Brazil plays a critical role in the country’s energy infrastructure, supporting more than one-third of national energy production.
- Aging infrastructure contributed to system failures, triggering production downtime to processing unit handling critical gas volumes
- Outdated firmware exposed critical infrastructure to vulnerabilities
- Limited spare parts and incomplete documentation increased risks
- AADvance® firmware
- Windows 10-based platform
- Risk assessments and cybersecurity validation
- Real-time monitoring and diagnostics
- Achieved zero-downtime upgrade on critical gas processing unit
- Decreased unplanned shutdowns to zero and improved system reliability
- Strengthened cybersecurity posture and reduced operational vulnerabilities
- Achieved compliance with SIL-3 safety standards
- Established scalable framework for future growth
Challenge
Aging Systems and Cybersecurity Risks
A major natural gas processing terminal in Brazil, critical to more than one-third of the country’s energy production, faced increasing operational risks due to aging infrastructure and outdated technology.
The facility relied on a legacy safety system that had been in place for over a decade, which began to experience hardware failures, particularly within I/O modules and PLC communications. These issues contributed to unplanned shutdowns and introduced operational uncertainty in an environment where reliability is essential.
At the same time, the system operated on outdated firmware within a Windows 7-based environment, exposing critical infrastructure to cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The terminal faced growing pressure to modernize its systems to meet current security standards.
Additional constraints intensified these challenges. For example, the terminal faced limited availability of spare parts and incomplete documentation. Also, given the critical nature of operations, the terminal required a robust rollback strategy so that the system could revert to its original state in the event of a major issue.
Solution
Strategic Firmware Modernization and Risk Mitigation
The system upgrade was executed in two phases. During preparation, spare I/O modules and a legacy CPU were secured to address potential failures. At the same time, SIL-3 safety loop documentation was validated for testing accuracy. Additionally, cybersecurity experts conducted collaborative risk assessments so that the Windows 10-based SIS Workstation met industry standards.
AADvance® safety control system supporting firmware upgrade and secure, reliable operations
In the execution phase, the facility deployed the AADvance® firmware, migrated to the modernized development environment, and conducted enhanced diagnostic tests on PLC communications to preempt interoperability issues. Real-time monitoring tools were also employed to detect anomalies, while a staged rollback protocol kept operational continuity.
After the upgrade, cross-functional teams validated SIL-3 compliance through simulated failure scenarios. Rigorous testing was done to confirm no residual risks to safety or production.
Result
Improved Reliability, Cybersecurity, and Safety Compliance
The system modernization was completed without interrupting operations on the terminal’s gas processing unit, which handles a critical volume of natural gas, approximately 1,600 m³/h. The upgrade resolved hardware and cybersecurity issues, bringing unplanned shutdowns down to zero and achieving SIL-3 compliance.
Migrating to a modern, Windows 10-based platform strengthened the terminal’s resilience, reducing exposure to vulnerabilities. The upgraded environment aligned with current security standards, providing a more resilient foundation for protecting critical infrastructure.
Ready for Future Operations
Finally, the facility established a scalable framework for future system upgrades. Following the project’s success, additional modernization efforts were approved for implementation during planned maintenance windows to continue improving without disrupting operations.
Published June 25, 2026