MOBOTIX Video Security Solutions Replace Analog Systems At Pupuk Sriwidjaja Fertiliser Factory In Indonesia

The project started with the installation of four MOBOTIX M22M cameras to secure entrances used by vehicles

A National Resource

For more than half a century, PT. Pupuk Sriwidjaja known as Pusri along with its subsidiaries, has helped implement and support government’s policies and programs in the field of national development, particularly in the fertiliser industry and other agricultural products.

As one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of fertilisers in Indonesia, Pusri is also responsible in per-forming distribution and marketing for subsidised fertilizer to farmers as a form of Public Service Obligation (PSO) implementation, supporting a national provision program by prioritising fertiliser production and distribution for farmers throughout Indonesia.

Since opening its first manufacturing plant in 1963 on a 20 hectare site in the Palembang, South Sumatera region of Indonesia, the company has added or upgraded a further 4 facilities including the massive PUSRI IB, its newest plant with production capacity of 396.000 tons of ammonia and 570.000 tons of urea per year. This project implements the energy-saving production process technology of urea and ammonia which is 30% more efficient than the existing facilities. The scope of PUSRI IB comprises a unit of ammonia facility with 1.350 tons per day or 446.000 tons per year capacity, a unit of urea facility with a capacity of 1.725 tons per day or 570.000 tons per year, and a unit of utility, offsite and auxiliary.

Moving Away From Analog

To protect such a critical national infrastructure, Pusri has long been a user of CCTV systems. As common with such facilities, senior Pusri management executives conduct regular evaluations of all security, production, operation, emergency and safety equipment and procedures. Following such an evaluation in 2008, it was decided that the existing analog CCTV running in the factory was no longer "fit for purpose" after it suffered from numerous reliability issues and poor image quality due to its age.

Following an examination of the market, it was decided that the CCTV system needed to be replaced with an alternative solution offering better reliability, improved image quality and an integration with some of its other operation systems to ensure simple and effective operational processes. To gain expert advice, Pusri contacted Jakarta based TechSquare, a highly experienced systems integrator with extensive experience in CCTV, access control and fire alarms. Working closely with an expert team from TechSquare, Pusri decided on a MOBOTIX based solution due to its combination of high quality images and decentralized access, which reduced cabling and CCTV installation cost and complexity. With fully Ingress Protection 65 rated models, MOBOTIX also had a proven ability to operate reliably within harsh operating environments such as ammonia rich gases.

A major advantage offered by the decentralized CCTV concept was the ability to have separate recording units in each building to meet the long established Pusri operational processes. In addition, the use of Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) allowed the company to reduce the need for additional power cabling running across the vast plant while the lack of moving parts offered far more reliability than other evaluated CCTV systems.

The cameras have been instrumental in helping to create a safe and secure environment

The project which spanned across 4 years including multiple phases started in 2009 with the installation of four MOBOTIX M22M cameras to secure entrances used by vehicles entering and leaving the factory. Run initially to test the technology and gain familiarity with the decentralized concept, the success of this project led to the second phase. In this instance, MOBOTIX cameras were deployed to high risk areas where due to safety concerns, the plant uses CCTV to monitor fire alarm panels.

In the event of an alarm triggered by Passive Infra-Red, smoke or heat, the MOBOTIX cameras receive the signal output from alarm panels and then the camera notifies other MOBOTIX cameras in that location to start recording. These video feeds can be monitored by site managers at remote locations in high resolution video with audio.

The third phase which ran in 2011 required MOBOTIX to replace the old analog PTZ systems. With the expertise of TechSquare, the new solution combines MOBOTIX cameras with PROVITEK Pan/Tilt motor head delivering the benefits of an all IP, decentralized CCTV solution with the local need for physical PTZ functions. The final phase involved an innovative adaptation by TechSquare that used MOBOTIX cameras from a development kit integrated with Wi-Fi connectivity within a custom made housing. The result is a fully portable CCTV solution that Pusri can setup quickly in certain areas to meet unforeseen security, health and safety requirements.

Present Excellence And Future Potential

During the last five years, Pusri has deployed over 65 cameras without failures even when operating in extreme environments containing phosphate, ammonium sulfate, and potassium chloride. The cameras have been instrumental in helping to create a safe and secure environment and have been responsible for detecting and identifying a culprit in a minor motorcycle theft incident from the car park attached to the plant.

The advanced MOBOTIX technology will prove useful in a number of additional areas and working with TechSquare, Pusri are now working on a project to deploy additional thermal cameras and MOBOTIX cameras to provide early detection of leaking flammable gas. In a future project, Pusri plans to use the MOBOTIX cameras and single Ethernet/POE connection for a Voice-over-IP system to allow paging of staff and general announcements directly from the control room without having to deploy additional complex infrastructure.

"The MOBOTIX technology and our partner TechSquare have delivered above and beyond our expectations," says Mr. Ir Effendi Panggabean - Lead Instrument Department RBP for PT. Pupuk Sriwidjaja, "Our investment has provided us with a reliable and robust CCTV system that is meeting our security, health and safety requirements while providing us with a powerful system for future expansion."