Cadent Gas: Modernising the UK’s largest gas distribution network

At a glance

nxzen is leading the IoT sensorisation of Cadent’s Horndon site, following a long-standing relationship which began with nxzen successfully creating Cadent Gas’s critical SCADA system years prior. The Horndon site will serve as a pilot for asset monitoring across Cadent's entire gas network.
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Key moments:

• Deploying non-invasive IoT sensorisation at the Horndon site, delivering real-time asset
  visibility on top of existing legacy infrastructure
• Extended visibility over disconnected assets by integrating data across systems to
  create a single source of truth within existing SCADA infrastructure
• Planned delivery of ultrasonic gas meters measuring own gas use in pre-heating
  process
• Transitioning fixed maintenance schedules to predictive data-led interventions, reducing
  operational costs and unnecessary site visits

The challenge

Unlocking greater visibility, resilience and future readiness

Cadent was operating long‑serving, trusted assets and legacy systems that had reliably supported customers for decades. However, limited real‑time insight meant maintenance was largely based on fixed schedules - helping keep the network safe, but not always directing resources where they could deliver the greatest impact.

Engineers needed more advanced tools to identify emerging issues earlier, gain clearer visibility of methane emissions, and accelerate progress toward Net Zero targets. At the same time, the evolving cyber threat landscape across the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure highlighted an opportunity to further strengthen Cadent’s field architecture and improve resilience.

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Cadent recognised the importance of acting at this moment. An IoT‑enabled approach could unlock predictive asset management, enhance cybersecurity posture, and lay the foundations for a hydrogen‑ready network - supporting the transition to a safer, smarter, and more sustainable energy system.

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The partnership

Meaningful change without major disruption

While a typical consultancy just fulfills the brief, nxzen diagnoses the underlying operational challenges and designs a solution built around the infrastructure already in place.  

A tech-agnostic approach means nxzen can work with Cadent's existing platforms and partners including Schneider Electric, Deltaflare, YZ Systems, ​SAMPAi, Simkiss ​and Orbital. Non-invasive wireless sensors attach directly to existing assets, and connectivity is configured to site demands using LoRaWAN or NB-IoT.  

IoT data integrates directly with Cadent's existing SCADA system and Digital Twin Platform, providing a consolidated view of network performance without introducing new infrastructure or disrupting operations.

“Working with nxzen and NNNCo at our Horndon site meant we could transform how we monitor and manage our gas network. In nxzen we found a partner who could not only trial new technologies, but also shape the outcomes and roadmap for what a smarter gas future could look like.”

- Chris Rison, Head of Smart Network at Cadent

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The work

Asset intelligence & security

Currently the partnership is focused on Asset Intelligence & Security at the Horndon offtake site:

IoT sensorisation of Horndon site

Long- serving assets at the Horndon offtake site meant engineers were being dispatched on fixed maintenance schedules with little visibility into how assets were performing. The result was a costly, reactive approach that struggled to get ahead of failures, maintain cybersecurity posture, or meet tightening emissions targets.

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Working from the site blueprint, nxzen started by defining two priorities: improved asset integrity and operational efficiency. From there a suite of monitoring use cases were mapped including vibration monitoring, leak detection, pressure monitoring, and valve status tracking. Then they deployed wireless, non-invasive sensors directly on existing equipment without disrupting operations.

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Data collected across these sensors flows through nxzen's proprietary n-hub platform, which normalises inputs from multiple sources into a single standardised format. This clean, unified data feeds directly into Cadent's existing systems including Schneider Electric, giving teams real-time asset visibility without replacing a single piece of legacy infrastructure.

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The result: Risks can be flagged before they become failures; predictive analytics will replace fixed maintenance schedules, and costly call-out visits can be reduced. The Horndon site serves as a pilot, giving Cadent a blueprint for a smarter, more resilient gas network.
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The impact

From reactive maintenance to predictive action

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Throughout the partnership, nxzen has helped Cadent move from a reactive mindset to a data-led approach, delivering mission-critical infrastructure and building the foundation for a smarter, more resilient gas network.

• Asset health and safety: Fixed inspection schedules can be replaced with real-time asset visibility and targeted intervention. Methane leaks, vibration anomalies, and pressure irregularities can be addressed before they escalate
• Resource & cost efficiency: Greater asset visibility means fewer routine site visits and more focus on at-risk areas, reducing travel costs, operational overhead, and vehicle emissions
• Strengthened resilience: Zero-trust security models and open protocols elevate Cadent's cybersecurity posture, while improved emissions monitoring provides the data for regulatory compliance and Net Zero tracking

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What’s next?

The Horndon offtake site serves as the blueprint for a smarter gas future. Cadent and nxzen are already in talks to expand sensorisation to broader asset classes, deepen the use of Digital Twins to optimise network performance, and explore IoT network technologies beyond LoRaWAN.

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The Horndon pilot opens the door to deeper integration between next-generation sensor data and Cadent's existing SCADA systems, proving that modern IoT and legacy enterprise infrastructure can work together to mitigate growing cyber and environmental threats.

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As Cadent evolves towards hydrogen readiness, the data infrastructure being built at Horndon is laying the foundation for safer and more informed network management at scale.