Ambitious Ocean Terminal upgrade completed

Transmitton, leading supplier of integrated control and asset management solutions, has installed its cromos Masterstation at the Ineos (formerly BP/Innovene) Finnart Ocean terminal

Transmitton, leading supplier of integrated control and asset management solutions, has cause for a double celebration.

It has just installed its cromos Masterstation at the Ineos (formerly BP/Innovene) Finnart Ocean terminal, and has also won a new contract to supply an additional RTU for the terminal.

In operation by May 2006, this additional RTU will incorporate additional signals from on-going upgrades and extensions being carried out to Ineos facilities.

The newly-completed GBP380,000 installation was accomplished by operating in parallel with the existing system and without shutting the pipeline down.

The final installation was completed at the same time as a major refurbishment of the Finnart control room, with all parties involved co-operating fully to meet the project deadline and successfully maintaining a 100% safety record.

In addition to replacing the Masterstation, managing the installation and commissioning, the project included incorporating the crude oil import pipeline into the SCADA and the leak detection system.

The Transmitton brief also included replacing the leak detection and batch tracking system.

The operator interface is fully integrated within the SCADA system, with which it communicates using an OPC link.

The new SCADA system upgraded the existing Tank Inventory Management System and incorporates a 42'' plasma display that gives an overview of the pipeline.

Existing RTUs were upgraded, with replacement power supplies, processors and modems, and by providing additional inputs and outputs.

An OPC link was provided to the Ineos PI data system.

Transmitton originally won the contract to provide the SCADA and leak detection system for the Grangemouth-Finnart export multi-product pipeline in 1990.

Originally the pipeline operated from the Grangemouth refinery but in 1996, the control centre was moved to the BP (now Ineos) Finnart Ocean terminal on the banks of Loch Long.

Throughout the life of the system, Transmitton has provided a 24/7 and 365 days a year maintenance contract.

When both Masterstation and its peripherals became outdated, the company decided to replace the systems and again selected Transmitton through a process of competitive tendering.

Tim Gregory, Systems Consultant for Transmitton, commented: "The new cromos system installed at the Finnart Ocean terminal provides Ineos with a highly resilient system based on dual servers in hot stand-by configuration with a dual network infrastructure to support it.

We were delighted to win the tender for the upgrade, especially as we installed the original equipment, which has provided excellent service.

The installation ran smoothly and we anticipate a continuing positive relationship with Ineos.".

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