The Asian refining sector is currently navigating a period of intense pressure, driven by volatile margins, fluctuating demand, and increasingly strict environmental mandates. Against this backdrop, incremental process optimisations are no longer enough. According to Chiu Gha Uai, Senior Manager of Technical Services (Asia) at Aspen Aerogels Inc., a fundamental technological shift is redefining what it means to achieve efficiency.
The Great Shift: Digital Meets Material Science
With over 15 years in engineering management, Mr. Chiu pinpoints the most significant change he has witnessed: the adoption of advanced digitalisation combined with material science innovation.
“Traditionally, refineries relied heavily on incremental process optimisations,” Chiu explains. “But today, predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and advanced materials such as aerogels, a high-performance insulation material, are transforming not only efficiency but also reliability and safety.”
The processing power of digitalisation paired with the physical transformation of advanced materials is moving the industry away from simple maintenance and into an era of anticipatory performance.
The New Role of Technical Services
This shift has significant implications for technical service teams. As Chiu Gha Uai notes, the job has changed from being reactive to proactive.
“For me, this shift has changed technical services from being reactive troubleshooters into proactive enablers of performance,” he states. “Instead of only fixing issues, we are now expected to anticipate them, integrate material solutions into design thinking, and align every technical recommendation with long-term operational strategy.”
This new mandate requires technical service teams to evolve their skillsets, becoming consultants who can integrate cutting-edge materials into design and operations to preempt future failures.
The Hidden Value of Strategic Flexibility
While materials like aerogels are often cited for immediate cost savings through improved thermal efficiency, Chiu emphasises that the true, long-term gain is strategic.
“Beyond cost savings, the hidden value lies in strategic flexibility and asset longevity,” Chiu asserts. “Cutting-edge materials like aerogels extend equipment life, reduce unplanned downtime, and enable higher throughput without proportionally increasing maintenance costs.”
In Asia, where refineries operate under intense competitive pressure, these technologies function as an insurance policy against volatility. They empower operators to maintain competitiveness, pivot faster to meet market changes, and even unlock opportunities for cleaner fuels production with lower incremental investment.
Overcoming Implementation Hurdles
Despite the clear benefits, integrating new materials is not always seamless. Drawing on his significant experience in field application and installation, Chiu highlights the most often overlooked challenge: site-level variability.
“What works in one refinery does not always translate seamlessly to another due to differences in operating culture, equipment age, or even contractor skill levels,” he cautions.
His top advice for successful implementation is direct: engage early and deeply with field teams. The best technology can fail if frontline staff do not fully understand its application or installation nuances. Success, he argues, “comes from bridging the gap between the ‘ideal’ lab-tested scenario and the ‘real’ refinery floor through training, pilot trials, and close supervision.”
A Culture of Continuous Improvement
Ultimately, the confluence of digitalisation and advanced material science is central to the industry’s focus on sustainability. Chiu is clear that innovative materials are no longer just supporting technologies; they are central to meeting sustainability targets by drastically cutting energy losses and ensuring compliance with tightening emissions standards.
This leads to the core takeaway that Mr. Chiu hopes attendees leave his technical sessions with:
“Efficiency is not just about doing more with less; it is about choosing the right tools that unlock sustained performance. I want attendees to go back with the mindset that efficiency is not a one-off project, but a culture of continuous improvement anchored in technology, teamwork, and foresight.
About the Author
Chiu Gha Uai
Senior Manager, Technical Services (Asia),
Aspen Aerogels Inc., Malaysia
Mr. Chiu has more than 15 years of engineering management experience, of which, 8 years of field application, installation, design and consultation in heavy industries, and more recently, over 7 years in energy and hydrocarbon processing, involved in engineering design, installation, and consultation. He is currently based in Malaysia as the Asia Technical Services Manager in Aspen Aerogels.