IP Video Enhances Security At Petrochemical Storage Terminal

  • Jan 28, 2008

An IP video solution has been installed to enhance the security at Royal Vopak’s petrochemical storage terminal in West Thurrock, U.K. With 347,100m of storage capacity in 125 tanks, Vopak’s terminal is a very demanding environment with security and health and safety of paramount importance.

The terminal provides independent storage and handling of liquid and gaseous chemical and oil products for Vopak’s customers. Products are transported from the terminal to the customer by road, pipeline and river via the 3-berth jetty.

Vopak Terminal London recently chose to upgrade the aging analog CCTV system with a complete end-to-end networked IP video solution from IndigoVision. The 40-camera system was specified by consultants, M J Partnership and installed by ADT Fire & Security Ltd in partnership with Waterstons, Vopak’s IT consultants.

At the heart of the system is Control Center, IndigoVision’s IP video and alarm management software, which allows operators to view live and recorded footage, from any camera, from any point on the network. Vopak has used this flexibility with the installation of a number of Control Center workstations both in the central control room and at other locations around the site, allowing other authorized staff to access the system. Control Center software is license-free, which means Vopak can install a workstation for no more cost than a PC.

The IP video system has provided Vopak with many benefits including fast image retrieval and greatly improved live and recorded video quality, which can be used for evidential purposes; something that was not achievable with the old analog system. In addition, video footage can also be used as a training aid for Vopak.

“We are delighted with the new CCTV system,” said Peter Lloyd, engineering manager at Vopak Terminal London. “The video quality is exceptional and the flexibility of the Control Center software is allowing us to use it as a site-wide management tool.”

Video recording is achieved using IndigoVision’s NVR software which provides up to 3 months of continuous storage from all of the cameras. Control Center provides a number of tools that allows fast retrieval and analysis of the recorded footage by the operator. The 40 CCTV cameras, which are a mix of fixed and PTZ from the original installation, are each connected to an IndigoVision 8000 transmitter/receiver module which converts the analog camera feed into DVD-quality MPEG-4 digital video for transmission over the network.

The combination of Control Center software and the network creates a ‘virtual matrix’, which is a more flexible and scalable video switching platform than the original analog matrix that it replaced. Any camera on the network can be viewed from any workstation on the network, no matter where they are located. Similarly, any workstation can access recorded video from the NVR server. This scalability also means that it is easy and cost effective to expand the system in the future as cameras can be added to any point on the network without the need to run new cabling.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.