Watchdog Automation played a key engineering role in the modernization and expansion of the aviation fuel infrastructure at Velana International Airport, the primary international gateway to the Republic of Maldives.
The project involved the complete detailed design of the Automation and Instrumentation systems for the airport's Fuel Farm and Aircraft Fuel Hydrant Distribution Network, supporting the expansion of airport operations and the increasing demand for aviation fuel handling capacity.
This large-scale infrastructure project was executed over a five-year period from 2018 to 2023, navigating complex logistics, remote project coordination, and major disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining strict engineering standards required for aviation fuel systems.
The project required the development of a comprehensive automation and instrumentation architecture to manage the safe storage, monitoring, and distribution of aviation fuel across the airport fuel farm and apron hydrant network.
The fuel storage facility includes:
These storage assets form the backbone of the airport's fuel supply chain, requiring highly reliable monitoring systems for tank gauging, flow measurement, pressure monitoring, and leak detection.
Watchdog Automation engineered the complete instrumentation package for the entire fuel farm, ensuring precise measurement, operational safety, and regulatory compliance.
The airport hydrant refueling network distributes aviation fuel directly to aircraft parking stands across the apron area.
The hydrant system includes five valve vault stations, each equipped with instrumentation and automation systems designed to monitor fuel pressure, detect potential leaks, and maintain safe fuel distribution across the network.
Each valve vault station was equipped with field instrumentation and connected to the central automation system through a redundant fiber optic industrial network, ensuring reliable communication between field devices and the central control system.
The project utilized high-precision industrial instrumentation designed specifically for aviation fuel applications.
Key instrumentation technologies included:
In total, the automation system integrates 578 I/O signals, covering tank instrumentation, pipeline monitoring, pump control, and hydrant valve vault monitoring.
The automation platform for the fuel farm and hydrant system was built on a Siemens PCS7 V9.0 Distributed Control System, a globally recognized automation platform widely used in large-scale process industries.
The PCS7 architecture includes:
This architecture ensures that the airport fuel infrastructure operates with high reliability, redundancy, and centralized operational visibility.
The project also required the design of multiple automation control panels to support the distributed automation architecture.
The system includes:
These field panels communicate with the central control system through a redundant single-mode fiber optic PROFIBUS network, ensuring reliable communication across the large physical area of the airport fuel distribution system.
The project was executed between 2018 and 2023, during a period that included major disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite travel restrictions, supply chain challenges, and global project delays, Watchdog Automation maintained engineering continuity through remote collaboration, disciplined project management, and continuous coordination with project stakeholders.
The successful delivery of this project demonstrates Watchdog Automation's capability to execute complex international automation projects under challenging global conditions.
The completed automation system provides Velana International Airport with a modern, highly reliable fuel management infrastructure, ensuring safe and efficient fuel storage and aircraft refueling operations.
Key capabilities delivered include:
This project highlights Watchdog Automation's capability to deliver advanced automation engineering for critical infrastructure projects, including aviation fuel systems, large-scale instrumentation deployments, and distributed control systems.
Through expertise in process automation, industrial instrumentation, DCS architecture, and control system engineering, Watchdog Automation continues to support large infrastructure projects with high-reliability automation solutions built on world-class technology platforms.
