• Case Study

    Common Oil Pipeline at Dublin Port

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The Client

Industry: Critical National Infrastructure

The Dublin Port fuel terminal is a critical piece of national infrastructure. Over two-thirds of all the fuel imported into the country, comes through this pipeline network that runs from the port jetties back to the tank farms of each individual oil company.

This infrastructure is generally referred to as the Common Oil Pipeline.

Hugh Munro & Co. Ltd, is the specialist engineering consultancy that’s tasked with the management of this shared infrastructure. The company delivers a wide range of services in the petrochemical and energy sectors.

Hugh Munro & Co positions itself as a ‘one stop shop’ for its clients’ needs, and provides all the services and disciplines associated with petrochemicals i.e, importation, storage and distribution.

Organisations operating at Dublin Port include the Port itself, Applegreen, Calor, Circle K, Fareplay, Irish Bitumen Storage, Irish Rail, Irish Tar, Lagan Materials, Tedcastles and Valero.

Hugh Munro logo - Common Oil Pipeline
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The Requirement

The Common Oil Pipeline at Dublin Port is a critical piece of national infrastructure that keeps the Irish economy moving. All of the major fuel and energy providers have a presence here.

Operating in such a hazardous and mission-critical environment brings with it many challenges.Robust and reliable communications between the company and petroleum staff at the port is paramount to the uninterrupted management, storage and discharge of fuel and to keeping the environment safe for all those who work there.Seamless communications is fuelled by mobile two-way radio.

Recent developments in radio technology and the move from analogue to digital presented Hugh Munro & Co with an ideal opportunity to perform a system refresh, which would enable the organisation to benefit from new functionality and features.

Following an in-depth tender process, EMR and its communications partner, Motorola Solutions scored highest and were chosen by Peter and his team to fulfill the contract.

The contract award built on EMR’s 30 years’ experience of servicing Dublin Port and sharing its two-way radio expertise.

“We wanted to perform a technology refresh with respect to our on-site communications. And with that would come the ability to benefit from enhanced communications through new functionality.”

Peter Murphy, Managing Director, Hugh Munro & Co

The Solution

Design of the two-way radio system had to take into account the hazardous nature of the environment. Motorola’s range of ATEX DP4801Ex portables met that challenge head on, delivering high quality audio, integrated GPS, text messaging and full-colour displays with day/night mode to make reading text messages easier.

The deployment of extra base stations throughout the facility helps to eliminate several blackspots and in a clever twist of technology, a custom-built Call Point was designed.

This Call Point is used by the on-site fire warden to communicate with port staff and has at its core, Motorola telemetry radio. Once activated, radio signals can remotely open the jetty gate on demand.

The five-year managed service brings management and monitoring of the radio system to a new level, with a greater degree of proactivity. And a managed service financial model, negates the need for large-scale, upfront investment as the cost is spread over a five-year cycle.

“We designed a robust solution based on best-in-class Motorola Solutions technology. Motorola’s robust design philosophy coupled with our managed service ticks all the boxes for Peter and his team.”

Mark Quinn, Managing Director, EMR Integrated Solutions.

Solution at a Glance

  • Digital mobile radio despatch system

    1 x Motorola TRBOnet Plus system with up to 8 channels, automated dispatcher and lone worker protection

  • ATEX portable radio handsets

    100 x MOTOTRBO DP4801Ex ATEX portable two-way radios with IMPRES™ batteries, specifically designed for safe use in combustible environments.

  • DMR base stations

    15 x Motorola MOTOTRBO DM4600e Base Stations with high-performance integrated voice and data, and advanced features for efficient operation.

  • Professional services

    Design and project management services

  • Managed service

    Five year managed service with pro-active support and predictable costs

Generic view of Motorola TRBOnet Enterprise Plus Solution

But the real intelligence of the solution is based on the Motorola TRBOnet Plus, a PC-based, client-server dispatch software application. This premium control room solution allows dispatchers to monitor audio, data and asset location and to interface with the system over IP. This makes liaising with radio or talkgroups much quicker, essential for highly demanding environments.

Key Features

  • Powerful voice dispatch between the dispatcher and remote radios, making broadcast, group, private or emergency calls quicker with programmable shortcuts.
  • Easy fleet administration with live status updates and detailed reporting.
  • Unprecedented productivity with functionality that allows everyday operations to be automated using defined rules and schedules for text messages, voicemails or geofencing.
  • GPS tracking as radio users across the site can be pinpointed on a campus map, providing man down protection with ease.
  • Auditable health and safety compliance as all system events including status changes are logged and stored.
  • Seamless communication with other devices when voice communication is not possible

The Benefits

Besides the obvious benefits of delivering more robust and reliable voice communications, the new solution does so much more.

It addresses key safety concerns in relation to man down and ensures that all radio users can be immediately located on a visual map, through the MOTRTRBO administrator screen.

Unlike the previous set-up, where the individual oil companies used their own portable devices from a variety of manufacturers, the entire network is now standardised on Motorola technology, allowing for easier management.

The five-year managed service contract gives Peter and his team great peace of mind and introduces an unprecedented level of support. Individual portables and their battery life is constantly monitored and the EMR team can pre-empt issues before they even arise.

And of course, the managed service negates the need for large scale, upfront investment as the cost is spread over a five-year cycle.

A monthly report highlights data such as system utilisation and battery status. EMR also manages the relationship with COMREG, the Irish communications regulator for the purposes of licensing and compliance.

 

“We have a long-standing commercial relationship with the team at EMR. They have always demonstrated a deep understanding of our business that helps us to deliver for our clients.”

Peter Murphy, Managing Director, Hugh Munro & Co

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Benefits at a Glance

  • High-performance radio communications

    Improved coverage throughout the port eliminating blackspots and delivering high quality, responsive voice traffic

  • Hardware standardisation

    All radio comms standardised to Motorola, facilitating easier device management

  • Robust health and safety

    Man down tracking thanks to integrated GPS and the ability to pinpoint exact locations on the campus map

  • Call point

    With remote activation capability

  • Proactive support

    Giving Peter confidence in his DMR solution and peace of mind that the EMR team are there to assist on demand

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