Overview
As part of a high-security upgrade for a top-tier Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) site in England, National Grid, one of the UK’s most vital utilities, commissioned a cutting-edge perimeter detection solution. Working on behalf of National Grid, Obsidian Security selected Ogier Electronics’ Scan-360 radar technology, integrated with Predator PTZ cameras from 360 Vision Technology.
The outcome is a fully operational, radar-based perimeter surveillance system designed to protect a nationally significant COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) site, where continuous manual monitoring was not a viable option.
End client: National Grid
Partner: Obsidian Security
Ogier Electronics equipment: Scan-360 radar
The challenge
The National Grid site posed significant surveillance challenges:
- A perimeter nearly 14 km long
- Remote jetty infrastructure located 2.5 miles away
- Large, open areas with minimal activity and few visual cues
- Previous thermal analytics systems proved unreliable
- Difficult conditions, including reduced visibility over water and in poor weather
According to Obsidian Security, conventional solutions simply couldn’t meet the operational demands of the site. Surveillance staff were inundated with low-value footage, while detection systems struggled to perform consistently across open terrain and in adverse weather.
We needed a technology that would reliably detect movement and potential intrusion over very wide spaces, and throughout all sorts of weather conditions, because being on the water can make visibility difficult at times.
Simon George, Managing Director, Obsidian Security
The solution
To meet these requirements, Ogier Electronics supplied ten Scan-360 radar units, each capable of:
- Continuous 360° surveillance, covering 125,000 m² per unit
- All-weather, day/night operation
- Simultaneous tracking of multiple moving targets
- Seamless deployment near each other without interference
The radars were integrated with 360 Vision Predator cameras to provide visual verification upon detection. As part of the validation process, a tug was sent underneath jetty infrastructure to simulate a potential intrusion. The system successfully detected and tracked the movement in real time, demonstrating operational effectiveness even in challenging maritime conditions.
