From One Terminal to 13: Gizil Scales a Right-Sized Approach to Terminal Digitalization

Gizil has expanded its terminal digitalization work with VAROPreem from one terminal in Cologne to a programme covering 13 terminals across Germany.

The journey started in September 2025 with a simple principle: brownfield digitalization should begin with understanding the existing facility and solving real, daily use cases before adding further layers of technology.

Following the first terminal and three additional sites, the approach is now being scaled across a wider multi-terminal programme.

The project provides a practical example of right-sized digitalization for tank terminals. Rather than digitally rebuilding entire facilities through complex modelling, Gizil creates a trusted digital foundation by validating and connecting existing infrastructure reality, asset information, P&IDs, engineering data and documentation.

This foundation is designed to support daily terminal use cases such as Management of Change, remote site reviews, workforce knowledge transfer, LOTO, root cause analysis, CMMS data readiness and construction planning.

Virtual Plant brings these different layers of industrial information together in a visual environment, helping make complex brownfield infrastructure easier to understand across different stakeholders.

“For us, digitalization should start with the people who actually use the infrastructure every day. We first need to understand reality, validate the information and solve practical use cases. Technology should then grow around what creates real value,” said Ali Utku Can, Co-founder and COO of Gizil.

The journey from one terminal to 13 demonstrates a pragmatic scaling model for terminal digitalization: start with reality, prove the use cases and scale what works.

For more information about Gizil, click here.