OK! Security organises CCTV security services and access control for wind farms during the entire length of the project if needed, taking the concerns for safety away from the operators.
The UK is considered to be the best location for wind power in Europe. By the middle of 2015, the installed capacity hit 13GW, with over 8GW of onshore capacity. Wind is covering almost 10% of the UK’s power requirement. Although public acceptance of this technology is generally high, 25% of the population still doesn’t support it, leaving projects under construction with a risk of sabotage.
Another common cause of disruption – not just during the construction phase but especially during operation – is break-ins. With rising prices of raw materials, organised crime groups are focused on stealing metals like copper, electronic components, fuel, machine parts and even whole construction vehicles. Operators of wind-power plants and construction companies alike can be hit by huge costs for the repair work and replacement. However, these costs seem nearly negligible compared with contractual penalties and loss of earnings due to delayed projects and downtimes – not to mention the invaluable image damage.
The traditional approach
Traditionally, project planners would just hire a local security company to observe and secure the construction site, which at first glance looks like a proper solution. However, looked at more closely, is not the best idea. First of all, the capabilities of most local security companies are not just limited to a certain geographical region; they likewise end with finalisation of the project.
Once the wind farm is in operation, the company needs to install alarm systems inside every single tower, and run a 24/7 service and control centre to evaluate alarms, unless the operator is not willing to spend hundreds of pounds each day for guarding. But most small, local, security companies can neither provide operators with alarm systems that are well tailored to the special needs of a wind-power plant, nor have they a suitable service and control centre. Furthermore, most general security companies, mostly involved in securing shopping centres, football stadiums and nightclubs, know only little to nothing about the very special requirements of wind projects when it comes to flexibility, working safety and procedures. Hence, they cannot properly advise customers in security issues.
Due to the decentralised organisation of wind farms, at least a few if not all power plants are constructed simultaneously. This results in excessive personnel requirements in medium to large projects, because one guard can only observe a single construction site at a time. This is followed by exploding security expenditures.
All-in-one service providers
While it seems to save money on security to hire a small, local and inexpensive security company, the opposite holds true. There are all-in-one security companies specialising in the renewable energy industry.
OK! Security, located in the west of Germany, is a Europe-wide security service provider. Focused on maximum customer benefit, OK! Security cares for wind farms for an entire life cycle. Prior to the project, OK! Security offers detailed and experienced security consulting. During the construction phase, it can save customers up to 75% of security expenditures by using its self-developed mobile CCTV system (M.O.P.S), which can reduce the quantity of security guards required. Unlike other mobile CCTV systems, it demands only a minimum of space on each construction site because it can operate without bulky motion detectors scattered all over the site.
During operations, OK! Security can install a specialised alarm system, and operates a 24/7 service and control centre that can react to a variety of events like burglary, fire, vandalism or flooding and choose the right intervention plan. Additionally, guard tours on a regular basis are possible.
The clear customer advantages of having a large all-in-one service provider like OK! Security are easy to see: you, as a project developer or operator, just don’t have to worry about security issues any more. From the planning phase of a project up to repowering, OK! Security covers all upcoming security issues. You don’t have to look for a new security company every time you start a new project. You don’t have to organise a bunch of different security contractors. Just concentrate on your core-business and don’t worry about security anymore.