In a far-flung island on the coastline of Alaska, the Twenty20 team faced a project huge in scope and planning.
Background
A large mining and minerals company owns and oversees management of an abandoned copper mine located on an island along the south coast of Alaska. The mine is currently unsealed and un-remediated, causing it to represent a significant environmental risk to the surrounding area. Due to regulations imposed by the Alaskan government, the owner was required to begin cleanup efforts for the mine. An environmental remediation company was contracted to install specialized equipment, including long-term time-lapse cameras, to measure water flow and levels of contamination in the mine over a period of time and formulate a strategy for cleanup. The project also required establishment of energy consumption monitoring capabilities, with solar power being a significant provider of energy for the site’s equipment and support facilities. This company sought out Twenty20 Solutions to assist in establishing these surveillance capabilities, as well as integrating critical monitoring equipment already present on the site. Initiated in late May of 2022, this install would encompass "phase one" of the full project; “phase two” would comprise finishing tasks, QA, and the final commissioning of the project.
Challenges
This project presented several challenges to the Twenty20 team. The mine is located in an extremely remote area with little existing support infrastructure, requiring water, air, and land-based transportation to reach. Nearly all of the team's construction equipment, including bulky excavators, had to be barged in - not a small task when considering the required ocean transport. The long travel and shipping distances necessitated extensive logistical planning, while steep, difficult terrain, poisonous vegetation, wildlife, and dangerous weather conditions all presented safety threats. Strict scheduling limited workdays and prolonged installation times beyond typical durations due to the complexity of the tasks, not helped the unforgiving terrain. Constant rain & wind made the installation of conduit and equipment dangerous and risked delaying the project. On top of these issues, cell service was sparse to nonexistent, limiting internal teams from lending support and technical assistance. Proper coordination and planning were critical above all else to the success of this install, with careful considerations needing to be made for new issues not previously experienced by Twenty20.
Solutions
Multiple hardware pieces and solutions were installed at the mine site, including video surveillance cameras and power grid, tank level, and energy consumption monitoring equipment. Video surveillance ensures that the company’s property and equipment is kept secure, while monitoring solutions provide the ability to gauge the energy use required to efficiently maintain the site into the future. Several new equipment types were utilized by the Twenty20 team to execute the install, including sophisticated satellite solutions that required precise calibration. Multiple utility poles were installed in designated areas to enable and maximize cellular and satellite communications, as well as optimal camera positioning. The Twenty20 team discovered that the initial suggested positioning for the satellite pole was insufficient for communication and relocated it to a more appropriate spot. High-resolution surveillance cameras were installed at critical vantage points, capturing valuable assets and environmental features, dissuading trespassing, and ensuring 24/7 monitoring of both human activity and environmental conditions such as tides and weather. The project also marked the first occasion of an installed camera line greater than 2,000 feet in length, an out-of-spec design that required collaboration with the manufacturer. This feat was accomplished by the Twenty20 Operations and R&D teams alongside company partners.
Conclusion
The Twenty20 team went above and beyond to deliver for this project. The install concluded after over a year of work, with the team completing the phase one install of the project over four consecutive weeks. Phase two was completed a few months later, with the project wrapping up in May of 2023. With surveillance and monitoring solutions in place, the remediation company was able was able to begin monitoring their assets and the environment as seasons changed.
About Twenty20 Solutions
Twenty20 is a single-source provider of comprehensive security solutions. With an innovative AI-powered technology suite, hybrid IoT, Cloud and Edge computing platform, and fully automated, real-time, bi-directional hardware control, we develop solutions tailored to your security needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business.