Real-Time LPG Tank Monitoring & Alert Automation
Background
Ghion Gas operates multiple LPG storage tanks and distribution points in Addis Ababa, supplying bulk and retail customers. As volume expanded, stock visibility became increasingly dependent on manual measurements, operator reporting, and periodic reconciliation.
Management required a reliable, centralized, and real-time system to monitor tank levels, reduce reconciliation uncertainty, and strengthen operational control.
GPS was engaged to design and deploy a fully integrated digital monitoring solution combining field sensors, a web-based monitoring platform, and automated alerting.
The Challenge
Prior to digitization, tank level tracking relied on physical inspection and manual logs. This created delays in identifying stock variances and limited management’s ability to view inventory across multiple sites in real time. Refill planning was reactive rather than data-driven, and there was no centralized audit trail to analyze consumption patterns or detect irregularities.
In a commodity business such as LPG—where margins are tight and leakage risk is material—this lack of visibility directly impacts working capital, logistics efficiency, and governance control.
GPS Solution
GPS implemented an end-to-end LPG monitoring architecture consisting of three integrated layers:
Field Layer
Industrial-grade LPG level sensors were installed on storage tanks, equipped with integrated GPRS communication modules. These sensors continuously measure fill levels and transmit encrypted data at configured intervals.
Monitoring Layer – Montra Web Application
GPS deployed a dedicated web application (Montra) that provides real-time visualization of tank levels across all monitored sites. Through a secure login interface, Ghion Gas management can:
• View live tank volumes
• Track historical consumption trends
• Compare multi-site performance
• Generate reports
• Monitor abnormal usage patterns
The platform creates a centralized operational dashboard, eliminating reliance on manual reporting.
Alert Layer – Telegram Bot Integration
To ensure immediate response to critical events, GPS integrated an automated Telegram bot for threshold-based alerts. When tank levels fall below defined limits or when unusual drawdown is detected, designated managers receive instant notifications via Telegram.
This converts raw sensor data into actionable intelligence without requiring continuous dashboard monitoring.
Results
Following deployment, Ghion Gas achieved continuous real-time visibility across monitored tanks. Management no longer depends on periodic physical inspections to understand stock status. Refill planning has become data-driven, reducing emergency dispatches and improving logistical coordination.
The system has introduced a digital audit trail of tank behavior, enabling analysis of consumption patterns over time and strengthening internal control mechanisms. Alert automation ensures that anomalies are identified immediately rather than retrospectively.
Beyond operational improvements, the deployment establishes the foundation for future integration into billing systems, distributor performance monitoring, and credit-risk profiling based on verified consumption data.
Strategic Significance
This use case demonstrates GPS’s capability to design and deploy industrial IoT systems that extend beyond hardware installation. The solution combines:
• Physical asset sensing
• Real-time cloud monitoring
• Automated alerting
• Historical data intelligence
The Ghion Gas deployment validates GPS’s broader model: building ground-truth digital infrastructure for high-value commodities where verification, transparency, and operational control are critical.