Replacement of PSTN Lines and related Telemetry Equipment (for use with Gas Controllers)

Description

Wales and West Utilities Ltd (WWU) operate a UK Gas distribution network, This is a notice to award a contract for provision of Telemetry Hardware Equipment and associated digital communications required to profile and control a low pressure gas network without the use of copper phone lines or mains power. Pressure control is critical to reduce excessive pressure and leakage in the network ensuring safety and environmental risks are limited. Self learning low pressure management and profiling is a key contributor to lowering gas emissions. Ofcom have approved BT Openreach to remove wholesale line rental (PSTN Copper lines) in the UK by 2025 upon which the current gas control system relies and as such an alternative solution is required. We require a self learning, forecast and profiling solution with control equipment and supporting communications solution capable of varying the outlet pressure of the governor to suit network demand; pressures must follow a self learnt profile to be raised at periods of high demand and decreased at periods of low demand automatically within safe limits. Logger data at low point extremities must feed into the profiling solution over a reliable communications solution without the use of copper phone lines PSTN Lot 1: Telemetry The currently deployed low pressure gas control platform is unique to a single provider's proprietary solution; The current provider is Technolog Ltd and their forecast and profiling solution is used by all UK Gas Distribution networks. We believe that there are no alternative telemetry systems in the market with the capability to operate without mains power, without copper phone lines and with the ability to execute automatic control actions of a gas governor autonomously within fail safe limits. Communications The Technolog Ltd. telemetry solution relies upon mobile digital communications. The digital communications used must have 4G NBIOT / CATM - IP or 5G NBIOT / CATM - IP available in time to meet the commencement of the roll out in Q4 2022, to achieve the March 2025 completion deadline of the project. The solution must be deployed in its entirety across 1671 sites to ensure continued operation of the gas network. The target completion date is the end of March 2025. A telemetry solution, if offered, must - 1. Provide a self-learning, forecast and profiling solution with control equipment capable of varying the outlet pressure of the in situ Technolog Ltd. Gas governors to suit network demand; pressures must follow a self learnt profile to be raised at periods of high demand and decreased at periods of low demand automatically within safe limits. 2. Enable data from District Governors to feed into the profiling solution over a reliable communications solution without the use of copper phone lines PSTN. 3. Enable logger data at low point extremities to feed into the profiling solution over a reliable communications solution without the use of copper phone lines PSTN. If a communications solution is offered it must meet the following requirements - 1. If a solution for both Telemetry and communications is offered - a. The communications must work with the telemetry hardware proposed above b. The communications must work without a PSTN line c. The communication system must work without a mains power supply d. The solution must include provision of a service for managing any failures within an agreed SLA for a Critical Network Infrastructure platform. 2. If a communication solution only is offered - a. The communications must work with Technolog telemetry hardware - Rugged Modem Operations (RMO) and Gas Station 4 (GS4). b. The communications must work without a PSTN line c. The communication system must work without a mains power supply d. If Mobile Digital communications is proposed i. The solution must include provision of SIM cards ii. The solution must include provision of Airtime iii. The solution must include provision of a service for managing communication failures within an agreed SLA for a Critical Network Infrastructure platform. iv. It must have 4G NBIOT / CATM - IP or 5G NBIOT / CATM - IP in time to meet the commencement of the roll out in Q3 / Q4 2022 to meet the March 2025 completion deadline of the project.