With its own 5G network, Zeebrugge is ready for the future

Data is an essential component of all modern operations. It's completely normal for us to be able to trace a package we have ordered online right to our door. Ports are a tangled web of goods, people, ship movements and ever-changing conditions (including the weather and the tides, to name but a few). All of these elements can be mapped out as mathematical data, and in turn, these numbers are fed into computers. This connectivity is what keeps everything running smoothly. The Port of Zeebrugge was on the hunt for a futureproof solution. "Fibreglass wasn't an option", says ICT manager Peter Merlevede. "Obtaining all of the necessary approvals and permits would have taken too much time. And we would have had to dig up roads and quays to install the infrastructure."

"Zeebrugge wanted its network not only to be secure, reliable and fully independent, but also as fast as it could possibly be", says Peter Merlevede. The port's solution? Construct its own private 5G network. Zeebrugge joined forces with Nokia and Oostkamp-based company CityMesh to build an ultra-fast wireless network. "With a response time of 1 millisecond, the private 5G network beats the human reaction time of 200 milliseconds hands down. A self-driving car will be able to brake much faster than it would with a human driver behind the wheel", says the ICT manager.

Practical applications for the new technology are gradually being rolled out across the port. By 2021, the network incorporated more than 100 end points, including sensors and security cameras – and the possible applications are almost limitless. Currently, the 5G network is used to improve data and internet connectivity in locations that are more difficult for telecoms operators to physically access. One of the first major tasks for the system is to obtain offshore data from the wind farms located off the coast on behalf of Cwave/CityMesh. From the sea station, Port Control manages traffic in the port. The private 5G network provides a super-fast connection between Port Control and the harbour master's office.

The system is based on three pillars. In the 'green port', sensors measure air quality so that ships causing pollution can be immediately traced. By continuously monitoring electricity consumption inside port authority buildings, abnormal peaks can be used to flag up problems so that action can be taken immediately. In the 'safety port', automatic drones that take to the skies if a reefer container catches fire can help the fire service to locate the problem.

The project that started back in September 2019 is critical to the future of the port. Customer demand is the driving force behind these changes – and they are an essential component of future development.