Greenfield gas facility: OT/IT built from zero to operational.

A greenfield gas facility in a remote northern region had no digital foundation andcould not operate without one. Charter built the OT and IT end to end, set thearchitecture, and delivered custom applications for commitment tracking and incidentmanagement. The facility came online able to run safely and to produce, with OT andIT operating as one system, despite weather and permitting delays that threatened theschedule.

At a glance
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• Zero to a full OT and IT foundation on a greenfield site
• Custom applications for commitment tracking and incident management
• OT and IT integrated as one operating environment from day one
• Delivered against fixed safety and compliance requirements

Business challenge

‍To support long-term energy security in a remote northern region, a majorenergy-sector organization began developing a greenfield gas-powered facility.

With nodigital foundation in place, the project needed both operational technology (OT) andinformation technology (IT) built from end to end. Reliable, resilient, and secureoperations from day one were critical to delivering stable energy supply, and tolaying the foundation for modern, connected energy infrastructure.

Charter's delivery

‍Charter set the OT and IT architecture and built the foundation using its Enterpriseand Business Architecture, CTO advisory, and Application Development services.

Working with executive leadership, Charter aligned operational and regulatory requirements,then developed custom applications for commitment tracking and incident management.

In collaboration with Rockwell Automation and Westburne, the solution used RockwellPlantPAx, CPwE, and the Microsoft suite to establish a secure and resilientoperational environment.

Outcomes
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• Operational from day one. OT and IT ran as one integrated environment at startup, sothe plant could produce and be monitored immediately rather than adding the digitallayer after commissioning.
• Clear site visibility. Leadership managed the facility against OT-specific KPIs including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) from the start.
• Safety and compliance. Secure, resilient operations were in placefrom the first hour, where a gap is a regulatory or safety event, not aninconvenience.
• Delivered on schedule. Weather-related construction delays and extendedpermitting did not derail the digital delivery. Charter re-sequenced the plan tokeep it aligned with operational and compliance milestones.
• Built to scale. The architecture supports connected energy infrastructure as thesite grows, rather than a foundation that needs replacing at the next phase.

Capabilities engaged
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• Consulting & Business Architecture: CTO advisory and the OT/IT architecture.Transformation Roadmapping, Risk & KPI Definition.
• Procurement & Technology Solutions: sourcing and coordination with RockwellAutomation and Westburne. Sourcing & Fulfilment, Vendor Management.
• Application Innovation: custom applications for commitment tracking and incidentmanagement. Custom Software.
• Managed Services: a secure, resilient operational environment. Network &Infrastructure, Security Monitoring.

Charter set the architecture, sourced the technology, built the applications, andsecured the environment. One partner across strategy, procurement, and build on a sitethat started with no digital foundation.

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FAQ

How long does it take to build OT and IT for a greenfield industrial site?

‍It depends on scope. Charter sequences OT and IT together so the digital foundation isready at commissioning rather than added afterward. On this build, delivery held to theoperational schedule despite weather and permitting delays.

What is OT/IT convergence and why does it matter for a new plant?

‍Convergence means operational technology, the systems that run the plant, andinformation technology, the business and data systems, operate as one secureenvironment. For a new facility it is the difference between running and monitoringfrom day one versus adding it later at higher cost.

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