Digital Twin boosts small-scale Amazonian agroindustry

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, the Moiru project helps a small-scale producer of essential oils to work smarter. In the framework of a proof of concept, it shows how Digital Twin tools – including Simcenter STAR ‑CCM+ – can make a difference far from the factory floor

The Amazon’s humid climate provides ideal conditions for fragrant plants. Since 2003, the Campo Limpo Cooperative (APROCAMP) in Santo Antônio do Tauá has been supplying Natura – a Brazilian multinational and Latin America’s leading beauty and personal care company – with these crops. And since 2024, the cooperative has also been involved in extracting their essential oils, enabling more of the value to remain with the community.

Through the Moiru project, the process of extracting essential oils can now be automatized. Developed with Natura as part of our Tech4Amazonia initiative, the project focuses on bringing digital technologies to industrial processes in rural Amazonian areas. Our engineers contribute their expertise in automation, simulation, and data‑intelligence technologies, while Natura brings scientific competence in socio‑biodiversity and long-standing relationships with local communities.

A traditional process goes digital

Traditionally, essential oil production uses steam: The plant material is packed into large vats, and steam passes through the organic matter, vaporizing the plant’s essential oils, which are then condensed in the next step and separated from the water. The quality of the final product depends among others on how evenly the steam moves through the material and how stable pressure and temperature remain during the run. To achieve the best results every time, we set out to digitalize the process. Because nothing should be left up to chance.

Our engineers started by mapping the existing extraction setup in detail. This included collecting and validating technical data such as CAD drawings, piping and instrumentation diagrams, and boundary conditions, followed by on‑site visits to understand the cooperative’s infrastructure and the operational constraints of an agroindustrial operation in the Amazonia. This information was collated to create a Digital Twin of the extraction vat using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in Simcenter STAR ‑CCM+. The model reveals how steam moves through the plant material, where pressure drops occur, and how temperature is distributed inside the vessel – all factors that directly influence the efficiency and reproducibility of the extraction.

Gaining deeper knowledge and better control over the extraction processes is fundamental for improving efficiency and generating higher‑quality raw materials.

Romulo Zamberlan, Director of Future Sciences and Well-being, Natura

From insight to action

The insights gained from the Digital Twin were then put into action. We started by integrating an automation layer into the agroindustry’s extraction process. A pressure sensor was installed upstream of the extractor, a proportional valve was placed in the steam line, and mass‑flow and temperature sensors were added to capture the key variables of each batch. These components are controlled and monitored through a PLC/HMI system and supervisory control, allowing operators to set the desired steam flow rate, observe process behavior, and maintain stable operating conditions.

All of the data created in the process is logged locally by Industrial Edge, which is essential in areas where connectivity can be limited. The data can then be analyzed with different applications.

Measurable improvements

The results from the CFD simulation revealed that pressure levels for extracting essential oil could be up to 50% lower than those originally used. This means greater energy efficiency in the boiler, lower biomass and water consumption, and, consequently, a reduction in operating costs and in the carbon footprint. More stable pressure conditions ensure that the process is now safer.

The CFD model and automation also provide a more homogeneous temperature distribution, which is essential for consistent oil volatilization; more stable inlet pressure and vapor flow; and better process control for higher efficiency. These factors directly influence the quality of the essential oil. Finally, real‑time monitoring of the steam flow allows the process to be standardized and repeated reliably for each plant species.

screenshot video - natura - Measurable improvements

Gaining deeper knowledge and better control over the extraction processes is fundamental for improving efficiency and generating higher‑quality raw materials.

Romulo Zamberlan, Director of Future Sciences and Well-being, Natura

A more equitable supply chain

Members of the APROCAMP community have acquired digitalization skills in the framework of the Moiru project.

Aside from introducing higher efficiency to the essential-oil distillation process, the Moiru project also included training in automation, instrumentation, and process monitoring for APROCAMP community members. That means they are not only involved in higher-skilled extraction work, but also participate directly in digitalizing their production. Natura has been doingsuch kind of transformation into Amazon for morethan 25 years, even before the Mouri project, the community was already enjoying a 60% increase in its annual gross revenue and a 25% rise in job opportunities thanks to being involved in essential-oil production.

Now that the Moiru project has successfully gone through a proof of concept, the next steps include exploring new applications, such as AI‑based optimization. Furthermore, the approach serves as a blueprint for other agroindustries.

April 2026