For decades, energy companies have invested heavily in digital transformation. Across nuclear, utilities, oil and gas, and renewable energy, organisations have deployed Building Information Modelling (BIM), Common Data Environments (CDEs)[i], cloud collaboration platforms and connected workflows to improve project delivery and manage increasingly complex assets.
These technologies have transformed how information is created, shared and governed. CDEs have become a critical foundation for trusted, connected project information, helping teams collaborate around shared models, documents and workflows across the project lifecycle.
Yet many organisations are now recognising that centralising data into a digital project hub is not the end of the digital transformation process. In fact, it’s just the beginning. Turning this data into operational intelligence is the next step in building sustainable, resilient and climate change-resistant energy infrastructure that will be fundamental to keeping the lights on as the energy transition ramps up, according to a new report from Autodesk, a global leader in design and make technology.
The report argues that technology is no longer the barrier it once was. “AI, internet of things (IoT), and cloud platforms have matured to a point where enterprise-scale deployment is feasible and cost-effective.”
The operational need is undeniable. Demand volatility, extreme weather, and skills shortages all create pressure that cannot be met with legacy methods. This is why we will see digital twins emerge as the next evolution of digital transformation, Autodesk says.
Predict, simulate, act
Unlike static design models, digital twins are dynamic virtual representations of physical assets.
They take the foundations of BIM and connect it with real-time operational data. A digital twin evolves with the asset, continuously updated through Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, analytics and cloud platforms – and combining these with fast-advancing machine learning and AI capabilities can help identify patterns that would be impossible manually and simulate scenarios to enhance future decision-making.
Investing in digital twins, enables organisations to forecast failures, optimise maintenance schedules, evaluate investment scenarios and understand the long-term implications of operational decisions.
The result is a shift from understanding what has happened to understanding what is likely to happen next, which is a gamechanger.
“It is not just a model of what was designed or built – it is a living representation of how the asset is performing today and how it will behave tomorrow,” the report explains.
It continues: “With CAD or BIM, you can see and plan more effectively. With a digital twin, you can predict, simulate and act – reducing downtime, extending asset life and making ESG compliance measurable in daily operations.”
Why digital twins matter now
Energy owners and operators face unprecedented pressure to deliver against multiple priorities simultaneously. They must maintain reliable energy supply while modernising ageing infrastructure, integrating new technologies, reducing emissions to reach net zero targets, while also extending asset life and meeting increasingly stringent regulatory requirements.
At the same time, the scale and complexity of energy infrastructure projects is increasing.
New nuclear programmes require decades-long planning horizons and rigorous safety assurance.
Utilities are having to integrate distributed energy resources, electric vehicles and smart grid technologies.
Renewable energy portfolios, particularly wind farms, are geographically dispersed, making physical on-site inspections and repairs expensive and complex. In oil and gas, safety and emissions management are paramount, operators must balance production efficiency with emissions reduction and asset integrity, while adhering to stricter compliance mandates. In this environment, leaders need the ability to understand how assets are performing in real time, anticipate future outcomes and test decisions before implementing them in the physical world.
Digital twins provide that capability, says Autodesk, pointing out that the technology has already moved beyond proof-of-concept projects. Across the energy sector, organisations are beginning to use digital twins at scale to solve real operational challenges, like predicting maintenance needs, model safety scenarios and streamlining workflows.
GlobalData forecasts that the total IoT market for the energy sector will be worth $64.7bn in 2027, which would represent a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.4% in five years.
Autodesk’s report, Digital twins in energy: powering operational excellence and the energy transition, explores in greater depth how digital twins are being applied across energy subsectors, supporting each overcome their unique set of challenges. It also explores the business and sustainability value of digital twins, and how engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms can help asset owners unlock lifecycle value by embedding twin-ready data from design through handover.
Download Autodesk’s report below to discover what the energy systems of the future will have to accommodate and how digital twin investment should be managed to maximise its value.
[i] SSEN Transmission turns to Autodesk Construction Cloud to achieve ambitious 2030 Net Zero goals
