R - Retrofit
E - Engineering
I - IIot

• Engineering & Automation
• Communication & SCADA Integration
• Process Automation

About the Project

Reditech carried out the complete modernisation and automation of 20 unmanned pumping stations for the province of Antwerp. These stations play a crucial role in water management and limiting flood risks around smaller watercourses.

The project involved a complete upgrade of the PLC infrastructure, connectivity and integration with a redundant Siemens SCADA platform, in collaboration with Equans.

Challenge

The control system of the existing pumping stations was technically outdated and did not provide sufficient support for modern water management. The new system had to:

• enable real-time remote monitoring
• fully comply with the guidelines of the VMM (Flemish Environment Agency)
• be uniformly and scalably constructed
• be resistant to 4G network failures and other connection problems
• execute automated maintenance sequences
• guarantee equal operating hours for all pumps

Our Contribution:

Engineering & Automation:

• Replacement of all MAQ PLCs with Siemens S7-1500 PLCs with communication processor (IEC 60870-5-104 protocol)
• Installation of industrial 4G Cisco routers for reliable connectivity
• Development of scalable, uniform software standards
• Visualisations and interface screens tailored to SCADA requirements

Communication & SCADA Integration:

In collaboration with Equans:

• Integration with the redundant Siemens SCADA system
• Implementation of data buffering for fail-safe data flow in the event of interruptions
• Modifications in accordance with the guidelines of VMM and the province of Antwerp

Process Automation:

• Automation of all core tasks, including:
• Control and monitoring of pump sequences
• Automatic maintenance cycles
• Smart distribution of pump hours
• Alarms and historical data recording

Commissioning & Start-up:

• Testing of all PLC, IO and communication flows
• Validation of pump controls, alarms and redundancy

Results for the Province of Antwerp:

• Reliable and stable real-time remote monitoring
• Accurate monitoring of flood risks
• More efficient maintenance through automated checks
• Uniform and scalable system for future expansions
• Data buffering for continuous operation in case of connection problems
• Project delivered on time, despite challenging weather conditions

REDI Pillars in this Project:

R – Retrofit
Upgrade of existing MAQ installations to modern Siemens technology
E – Engineering
Electrical integration, PLC architecture, panels & network infrastructure
I – IIoT
4G connectivity, data buffering, remote monitoring & central data collection