Vodafone has been commissioned to build the UK’s first 5G private network for the oil and gas sector.
The deal will see Vodafone deploy a private network of fifth-generation technology in Centrica Storage’s gas plant in Easington.
The network will allow for near real-time monitoring of processes within the plant, allowing for the automation of much of the facility’s critical maintenance and operations. It will also contribute to improving the safety of the plant’s staff, who will be connected to the network and instantly alerted to any equipment failures and potentially harmful gas leaks.
“The mobile private network we are building at our Easington terminal will help us address 1970s problems with a 21st Century solution, taking our business to the future from the moment it’s live,” said Paul Stevens, Information System and Technology Director at Centrica Storage. “Safety is a critical measure of success at Centrica Storage and the solution we are putting in place in Easington will reduce the risk for everyone on our site. By using this technology ahead of our peers, we will establish ourselves as leaders in the future of oil and gas processing.”
Private 5G networks are becoming increasingly feasible throughout the industry, bring us ever closer to the so-called fourth industrial revolution. In June, Vodafone announced it would be building a private 5G network for automotive giant Ford in the UK and, just two weeks ago, BT announced that it was working to make a 5G smart factory a reality in Worcestershire with Worcestor Bosch.
“Working with Worcestershire 5G Testbed and Worcester Bosch, we’re creating a smart factory where machines can learn and adapt to changes on the factory floor as they happen, and make instant, autonomous decisions to optimize the production line,” explained Gerry McQuade, CEO of BT’s Enterprise business.
Vodafone’s announcement shows that private 5G networks are beginning to gain traction in the wider business ecosystem, at least in the UK. Manufacturing has long been proposed as a major beneficiary of 5G connectivity, with the low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity helping to facilitate the IoT and automation at scale, but private networks in fact have much wider applicability.
Indeed, the start of the year saw the deployment of a 5G private network for a hospital in Sichuan, China, where its incorporation of AI, machine learning, IoT sensors will allow for improved telemedicine, greater efficiency and robot diagnostics. Private networks are also being considered for education facilities, event venues, and key areas of national infrastructures, such as ports and airports.
Source: https://www.totaltele.com/506712/Vodafone-to-build-5G-private-network-for-UK-gas-plant