Smart technology investment boosts Port of Aberdeen operations | Project Scotland

North, a provider of smart integrated solutions, has been awarded contracts to the value of £1 million by Port of Aberdeen to improve the safety, connectivity and sustainability of Scotland’s largest berthing port.

The deal includes the upgrade and expansion of the port’s CCTV and security systems and the deployment of a private 5G, public Wi-Fi and IoT networks to support a range of solutions to improve operations and customer experience.

The partnership follows the £420 million expansion of the port’s South Harbour, which officially opened in September 2023.

North has designed and deployed a CCTV and security system across the port’s North Harbour and South Harbour. This includes integrated video management systems, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and access control.

4K marine-grade cameras with video analytics now provide visibility as vessels approach the port, enabling a smarter approach to security management. Upgrades to control barriers and ANPR integration has strengthened real-time event detection and traffic management.

The 5G investment will allow Port of Aberdeen to install a private 5G network, providing better connectivity at the new South Port. The 5G network is tipped to enhance communications and support applications such as drone technology, smart bollards and 5G cameras.

Jon Oakey, chief financial officer at Port of Aberdeen, said, “Port of Aberdeen is focused on using cutting edge technology to achieve its aspirations, both in maintaining operations at the port and delivering our award-winning, industry-leading 2040 net zero strategy. The additional data available through the installation of these systems will allow our team to make more informed decisions that will continue to enable us to offer the operational excellence that our customers expect. We look forward to continuing the journey with North following these awards.”

Julie Hutchison, business development manager at North, added, “North is focused on delivering stronger networks and smarter places, and we are proud to help Port of Aberdeen realise this. Its transformational expansion and mission to become Scotland’s first premier net zero port will be accelerated through its prioritisation of and investment into smart solutions.”