The commercial success of any power plant depends on its ability to manage operational risks and provide continuity of supply. For Marchwood Power Limited, tackling the issue came in the form of installing more efficient and secure infrastructure.
Marchwood Power Limited operates a £380million state-of-the-art natural gas-fired combined cycle (CCGT) power station developed by ESB International and Scottish and Southern Energy, adjacent to the River Test near Southampton.
It began generating electricity in December 2009 and now generates 842MW of electricity for the national grid, enough to supply nearly one million homes.
The layout of the site and its surroundings, together with the need to protect on-site personnel, means security arrangements are under constant review to control access and minimise the inherent hazards of operating a Power Station.
Managing keys was identified as a crucial part of the operational process that needed enhanced security to help streamline processes.
Following an intensive tender process all keys are now securely stored and managed with Traka’s intelligent solution, controlled using a bespoke dual access system, whereby two different user types must authorise permission for access to be granted to any location on site.
"Traka’s team also enabled us to enhance the system with dual access for added access control, to support our compliance to ISO accreditations" |
Says Aaron Davis of Marchwood Power Limited: “Marchwood Power Limited operates one of the most efficient power stations in the UK, using the latest technology and aesthetic design to ensure maximum energy efficiency and minimal impact on the environment.”
“Even when it came to upgrading our key security systems we were looking for inspirational technology that could achieve the highest standards of health, safety and duty of care for our staff and the environment across all areas of the station”.
“Traka appealed to us because of its innovative design and user friendly focus. The committed support from Traka’s team also enabled us to enhance the system with dual access for added access control, to support our compliance to ISO accreditations and uphold the efficient running of the station.”
Traditionally at Marchwood Power Limited, keys had been stored in the control room and managed on a manual basis by technicians on site. However, audit trail capability was increasingly vital to avoid security breaches from lost keys and unauthorised staff mistakenly gaining access to different locations.
Traka's solution means all keys on site are now permanently attached (using a tamper proof security seal) to a metal iFob, to effectively ‘electronically tag’ them with unique identities providing a fully automated and audited process. The iFob, with keys attached, locks into a receptor strip within a key cabinet until released by an authorised user via a fully automated and audited process. Traka’s flexibility in design and security also ensures dual authorisation is required to access certain HV keys, which means two registered users, including one Senior Authorised Person (SAP) at Marchwood Power Limited, must be present. Since Traka has been installed, there has been a vast improvement in access management, with minimum account of key loss and time spent managing the key process greatly reduced. Personnel across the Power Station cannot access areas or use technology they are not authorised. Marchwood Power Limited technicians are already looking at ways to further utilise Traka on site.
"Traka software driven systems ensure entry and exit points are strictly controlled" |
Wayne Kynaston of Traka concluded: “At the core of Marchwood Power’s business lies a commitment to safety and security. The site has significant construction, annual maintenance outage programmes and development projects – and is without doubt, an evolving and dynamic environment in which to deliver security”.
“Traka software driven systems ensure entry and exit points are strictly controlled, and by implementing on a scalable basis, it can now be expanded to secure more access areas on site as required. The benefits are the reduction in operational costs and efficiency savings – all having a positive impact on energy productivity and profitability.”
For more information on Traka and the benefits of intelligent key cabinets, please visit www.traka.com.
