Energy, chemicals industries race to fully automate

Almost a third (31.5%) of 400 energy and chemical executives from 12 nations report that advancing autonomy will be a critical priority for the next five years, according to the “Global Autonomous Maturity Report” study released Mar. 23 by Schneider Electric. The report adds that 44% of the participants believe autonomy will be crucial during the next 10 years, while fewer than 5% view it as a low priority.

Citing strong commercial pressures, the executives warn that delaying automation risks higher operating costs (59%), worse talent shortages (52%), and reduced competitiveness (48%). However, the study adds that barriers to automation include high upfront costs (34%), legacy systems (30%), organizational resistance (27%), cybersecurity concerns (26%) and regulatory uncertainty (25%).

The report indicates the energy and chemical sectors are at a tipping point as electrification, automation and digitalization converge. Likewise, surging AI demand, driven mostly by hyperscale cloud and data center growth, is placing unprecedented pressure on global energy systems. Electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 1,000 TWh by 2030, intensifying the need for flexible, efficient and resilient operations. Within this emerging AI energy core, 49% of the executives identify AI as the biggest enabler of autonomy’s acceleration, followed by cybersecurity advances, cloud and edge computing, digital twins, advanced process control, and open, software-defined automation.

“Globally, organizations already report operating at 70% autonomy, with plans to hit 80% by 2030,” says Gwenaelle Avice Huet, EVP at Schneider Electric. “Autonomy is rapidly becoming the new operating model of industry. As AI advances and energy systems come under growing pressure, autonomous operations are proving essential for resilience and competitiveness. And this shift isn’t about replacing people, it’s about empowering them to focus on higher value work, strengthening safety, and elevating skills. Those who scale now will shape the next era of industrial performance.”

Regional differences

Some industry analysts agree these shifts are already further along than expected. “The report finds adoption of autonomy in the sector is more advanced than expected, with open, software-defined automation leading the next phase of energy innovation,” adds Gaurav Sharma, independent energy market analyst and contributor to the report. “In a sector where reliability, safety, and carbon reduction are now non‑negotiable, these technologies are emerging as the most effective way for operators to deliver ‘more with less,’ and run more resilient and competitive operations.”

Though the momentum is clear, progress towards autonomy is uneven. The report’s data highlights regional differences in autonomous readiness levels. While GCC countries and Asia presently lead in maturity, North America is reported to be ready for the fastest acceleration in adoption over the next five years, powered by its scale in energy production and consumption, and its rapidly expanding data‑center footprint. Europe maintains steady progress, but faces the slowest adoption trajectory.

Schneider and Aveva lend a hand

For instance, at Shell’s Scotford Refinery in Canada, Schneider Electric is helping modernize operations with open, software‑defined automation, supporting more flexible, autonomous operations. At European Energy’s Kassø Power‑to‑X facility, the world’s first commercially viable e‑methanol plant, Schneider Electric and Aveva are enabling AI‑supported, self‑optimizing clean‑fuel operations with resilient remote monitoring.

“Autonomous operations are redefining how energy and chemicals companies run their entire facilities, and Schneider Electric and Aveva are at the forefront of that shift, supporting customers, such as Shell, European Energy, ADNOC and Baosteel on real‑world deployments,” adds Devan Pillay, president of Schneider’s heavy industries business. “By integrating Schneider Electric’s process control and power management with Aveva’s digital technologies and industrial intelligence, we deliver integrated, software-defined architectures that provide real-time visibility, and enable AI driven digital twins that can predict, adapt and self-optimize with minimal intervention.”

Research methodology

The research in “Global Autonomous Maturity Report” was commissioned in partnership with Censuswide and Development Economics, and supported by Sharma’s insights. The 400 participants represent 12 countries in four key regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were supported by desk research and conversations with industry stakeholders and commentators across the global energy and chemicals sector.

Schneider Electric adds the framework used for the study is the Autonomous Operations Maturity Model (AOMM) developed by ARC Advisory Group (https://www.arcweb.com), which outlines a five-step hierarchy for adopting autonomous technology, with Level 5 representing full autonomy. The report’s data further revealed:

• The global average of current maturity is reported at 3.52 out of 5, between “advanced regulatory” (where technology is in control of specific scenarios and humans are alerted when unexpected events occur) and “select autonomy” (with systems running autonomously in specific scenarios, such as detecting and correcting issues, though humans are still needed for repairs and resets).
• To enhance clarity and help understand these levels, “advanced regulatory” was defined as “advancing maturity,” and “select autonomy” was “high maturity.” The percentage equivalent of level 3.52 was calculated as approximately 70% autonomy.
• The global average ambition for 2030 is to reach level 4.02 (high maturity with approximately 80% autonomy), where systems can operate autonomously across defined scenarios with humans overseeing, correcting, and optimizing as needed.