Control & Automation

Emerson launches Ovation Curation Tool to keep digital twins synchronised with power and water control systems

Emerson Automation Solutions 1 hour ago

26 4 minutes read

Key points

Listen to this article

Emerson has launched the Ovation™ Curation Tool, an innovative synchronisation software solution designed specifically for power generation and water control systems. The new software provides operators and engineers with a straightforward way to maintain version control and a comprehensive change history between multiple Ovation control systems and digital twin simulations, helping utilities improve operational efficiency, strengthen governance and reduce engineering workloads.

As digital transformation continues across the UK's power generation and water sectors, digital twins have become increasingly valuable for improving operator training, testing control strategies and supporting predictive maintenance. However, one of the biggest challenges organisations face is ensuring that these virtual models accurately reflect the live production environment. Emerson's new Ovation Curation Tool addresses this challenge by automatically synchronising production systems with digital twin simulations, helping prevent configuration drift while improving the accuracy and reliability of engineering activities.

The software is the first synchronisation solution of its kind for Emerson's Ovation platform and has been developed to automate the management of changes between operational control systems and their corresponding digital twins. By removing the need for manual version comparisons and change tracking, the solution helps engineering teams save significant amounts of time while enabling faster troubleshooting, more accurate testing and improved compliance.

Tackling configuration drift between production systems and digital twins

One of the most significant challenges when deploying digital twin technology is ensuring that the simulation remains aligned with the live production environment. In power plants and water treatment facilities, operators and engineers routinely make changes to control systems to resolve operational issues, optimise plant performance and introduce new control strategies.

Over time, these incremental modifications can cause the configuration of the operational control system to diverge from the digital twin simulation. This process, commonly known as configuration drift, reduces the value of the digital twin, making simulations less representative of real plant conditions and limiting their effectiveness for operator training, testing and future planning.

Traditionally, tracking these changes has relied on manual engineering effort, requiring teams to compare system versions, identify modifications and implement updates individually. This approach can consume many hours of engineering time and increases the likelihood of missed changes or documentation errors.

The Ovation Curation Tool automates this entire process by continuously tracking changes made to production control systems and enabling those updates to be deployed quickly and accurately to digital twin simulations and other Ovation control systems through an intuitive dashboard.

“Keeping a digital twin continually synchronised with live systems has always been a challenge, and that challenge continues to increase as workforce shortages make it more difficult to find and retain expert personnel,” said Rick Kephart, vice president of technology for Emerson's power and water business. “The Ovation Curation Tool helps teams deliver lifecycle value for Emerson's Ovation Digital Twin by making it easy to ensure simulations stay relevant, providing continuous benefit through improved training, testing, engineering and forecasting.”

Automated change tracking improves engineering efficiency

The Ovation Curation Tool has been designed to minimise the administrative burden associated with managing complex industrial automation systems.

Users can configure the software to automatically scan for changes at intervals that best suit operational requirements, whether on a weekly, monthly or ad hoc basis. Rather than carrying out lengthy manual comparisons between systems, engineers receive a detailed record of every modification made to the control environment.

The intuitive dashboard provides complete visibility of change activity by showing exactly what has changed, who made the change and when it occurred. This comprehensive audit trail helps reduce the risk of undocumented or unexpected configuration changes while supporting governance, regulatory compliance and internal quality assurance processes.

By maintaining an accurate historical record of system modifications, engineering teams can also investigate operational issues more quickly and identify the root cause of changes with greater confidence.

Faster synchronisation and reduced operational risk

Once engineering teams have reviewed and validated proposed changes, the Ovation Curation Tool enables automated synchronisation between the production control system and its associated digital twin. It can also synchronise updates between digital twins and additional Ovation control systems across an organisation.

Before any changes are deployed, the software performs a simulation snapshot impact analysis to identify any potential disruptions that could affect the target system. The tool also recommends possible resolutions before implementation, helping engineers make informed decisions while reducing operational risk.

This proactive approach allows organisations to deploy updates with greater confidence while maintaining the integrity of both production environments and simulation models.

Repository-based architecture supports collaborative engineering

The Ovation Curation Tool uses a repository-based architecture to transfer data between production systems and simulation environments while maintaining synchronisation throughout the engineering lifecycle.

The platform also supports collaborative engineering by allowing multiple users to work simultaneously on the same assets before merging their changes. This capability enables engineering teams to manage increasingly complex automation projects more efficiently while maintaining consistency across multiple systems.

As organisations continue to expand their use of digital twins, collaborative engineering tools such as the Ovation Curation Tool can help reduce project timescales, improve version control and ensure that engineering teams always work from the most up-to-date system configuration.

Supporting digital transformation in the power and water sectors

As power generation companies and water utilities continue investing in digitalisation, software that simplifies digital twin management is becoming increasingly important. Accurate digital twins enable organisations to improve workforce training, validate control strategies before deployment, support predictive maintenance initiatives and enhance long-term operational resilience.

By automating synchronisation, version control and change management, Emerson's Ovation Curation Tool provides a practical solution for organisations looking to maximise the value of their digital twin investments while reducing engineering effort and improving governance across critical infrastructure.

The Ovation Curation Tool will be showcased at Emerson's Ovation Users Group Conference 2026, taking place from 26 to 30 July in Pittsburgh, USA, where attendees will have the opportunity to see the software's synchronisation capabilities and collaborative engineering features in action.

Contact Details

Emerson Automation Solutions

0870 240 1978
uksales@emerson.com
Meridian East, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, Leicestershire LE19 1UX GB

About us

Leader in helping businesses automate their production, processing and distribution in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, life sciences and other industries.

Where we supply to

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America

Industries we supply to

Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater