A traditional oil extraction process in Brazil’s Amazon is getting a digital upgrade as Siemens engineers work with Natura and local communities to bring simulation and automation into a rural agroindustry. The Moiru project in Santo Antônio do Tauá, Pará, is using digital twin technology to study how steam moves through plant material during essential oil extraction.

The Campo Limpo Cooperative has grown aromatic plants for Natura since 2003 and began distilling them in 2024. The project brings this established process together with Siemens digital technologies, creating a digital twin of the extraction vat and adding automation to monitor and control key operating conditions.

The work shows how digital twin and automation technologies can extend beyond conventional factories by combining the real and digital worlds. In this case, the technology is being shaped around local conditions, community knowledge, and the practical requirements of an Amazonian production site.

Steam distillation has been used for generations. Plant material is placed in a vat, where steam passes through the biomass and vaporizes essential oil. The vapor then condenses and separates from water.

The quality of the extraction depends heavily on how steam moves through the biomass, along with stable pressure and temperature during the process. Traditionally, many of these variables have depended on operator experience.

For the Moiru project, Siemens engineers worked directly with Natura and community members to understand how the process operates in its local environment. The project sits within Siemens’ Tech4Amazonia initiative and emphasizes active listening and collaboration with people who already have extensive knowledge of the process.

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