Security Robot Tank Terminal: KRITIS Obligation 2026

Petroleum storage facilities fall under the energy sector. At 420,000 t annual throughput, the KritisV applies. The Dachgesetz shifts the obligation from the cyber domain into the physical domain starting Q1 2026. Personnel costs are rising. Staff is scarce. Robotic patrols are a business decision at this point, not an experiment.

Security Robot Tank Terminal: Why 2026 Marks the Obligation

The KritisV defines threshold values for the energy sector under the KRITIS-Dachgesetz in §2. Tank terminals with a throughput of 420,000 t of petroleum per year are covered (BSI-KritisV, gesetze-im-internet.de). Any operator exceeding this threshold becomes an operator of critical infrastructure, with all resulting obligations.

The KRITIS-Dachgesetz raises physical protection to the same level as cybersecurity. §8 of the draft bill requires verifiable measures against intrusion, sabotage, and drone overflight (Bundestag-Drucksache 20/9262). Petroleum logistics is explicitly covered.

The personnel question determines economic viability. One 24/7 Posten (gate or Streife, three shifts plus relief) costs between €15,000 and €25,000 per month within the BDSW Manteltarifvertrag structure (BDSW Zahlen, Daten, Fakten). One QR-2 in the RaaS model replaces a night patrol at €3,500 per month. No sick days, no holiday entitlement, no night and public-holiday supplements.

The threat is not hypothetical. The BMI security report 2024 records 38 percent more drone overflights above tank farms than in the previous year. [Source to be inserted: BMI-Lagebild 2024, external link required.] Reconnaissance precedes the act.

Next step: Check the KRITIS-Dachgesetz Checklist 2026 for applicability to your site.

Threat Landscape at Tank Terminals: Concrete Vectors

Five vectors recur in the situation reports of the Bundespolizei and the industrial fire brigade associations.

First: perimeter breach at the outer wall. The primary window is between 02:00 and 04:30, when the human Streife is on a break and loading activity has stopped.

Second: drone overflight for reconnaissance. The objective is to capture tank layout, foam extinguishing systems, and emergency generators. The footage either serves to prepare physical attacks or is sold to third parties.

Third: tampering at loading ramps and valve houses. These installations are often outside the camera sightlines, because cameras are primarily aimed at the tank cups and the gate.

Fourth: insider risk from external tanker drivers. Outside main loading hours, identity checks are thinner and access to sensitive areas is broader.

Fifth: sabotage of foam extinguishing systems and tank roof breathing valves. A single deactivated valve can, in the event of fire, escalate a smouldering fire to a fully developed blaze.

Next step: Include the vectors listed above in your current Gefährdungsbeurteilung.

QR-2 and QR-3 at the Tank Farm: Sensor Technology and Operational Profile

The QR-2 for 24/7 outdoor deployment patrols on paved routes between the tank cups. The thermal imaging camera detects persons from 30 m and vehicles from 80 m. Thermal anomaly detection reports leaks and smouldering fires before the visually detectable stage. That is the core advantage over a human Streife with a torch.

The QR-3 with drone detection identifies unmanned aerial vehicles up to 400 m distance via LiDAR and acoustic signature. The platform is designed for KRITIS-compliant operation and delivers auditable detection logs.

Clarification on Ex zones: neither QR-2 nor QR-3 carries ATEX certification. Both platforms operate exclusively on designated traffic routes outside Ex zone 0 and Ex zone 1. Routes in Ex zone 2 are possible after individual assessment with the fire protection officer, but must be explicitly cleared in the route map. The patrol therefore covers the perimeter, traffic routes, and loading area, not the immediate tank environment within the primary Ex zone.

Patrol routes are randomised. An intruder cannot calculate a predictable time window. Data transmission runs encrypted to the plant's own control room. No cloud dependency, no third-party dependency for situational picture data.

Next step: Clarify with your fire protection officer which traffic routes outside Ex zone 0/1 are available for patrol.

TCO Comparison: Security Guard Versus Robotic Patrol

The figures are straightforward. Three 24/7 patrol posts (one gate and two external Streifen) cost between €540,000 and €900,000 per year within the BDSW Manteltarifvertrag structure, depending on federal state, Sachkundeprüfung qualification level, and supplement structure (BDSW Zahlen, Daten, Fakten).

Two QR-2 units plus one QR-3 for drone coverage sit at €124,800 per year in the RaaS model. That is €10,400 per month for three platforms, including maintenance, software updates, and replacement of defective units within 48 hours. No CapEx, no balance-sheet activation, no depreciation risk.

The Robotics-as-a-Service model has a minimum term of 24 months. After that, cancellation is possible monthly. Operators who no longer want the platforms after the term return them. Those who wish to scale add units without renegotiation.

The structural advantage: the BDSW reports approximately 12,000 unfilled positions in the private security industry (BDSW Zahlen, Daten, Fakten). An operator seeking three additional patrol posts today will simply not find them in many markets. The staffing bottleneck is structurally absent with a robotic patrol.

Trade-off: a robot detects, documents, and raises an alarm. It does not physically intervene, cannot issue a trespass order, and does not conduct identity checks. Operators who require physical intervention need an additional response team. The question is not robot or human, but how many humans for what purpose.

Next step: Calculate your specific site case using the TCO comparison for Wachschutz.

Integration into the Existing Security Concept

Robots supplement, they do not replace. A response team remains mandatory so that a gate alarm can be verified and escalated if necessary. Removing the last Posten at the gate eliminates access control. That is not the objective.

Connection to existing PSIM systems (Genetec, Milestone, Siemens Siveillance) runs via ONVIF and MQTT. Existing alarm chains remain intact. The robot becomes an additional sensor and actuator source in the control room.

The alarm chain is defined: robot alert to the control room, verification there via the platform's live video feed, then escalation to police or plant fire brigade. Target time between detection and escalation: 90 seconds.

The charging and maintenance station is located outside the Ex zone, ideally at the Werkschutz building or a structurally separate garage. Power supply: 230 V. Connectivity: mobile or fibre-optic link to the control room.

Commissioning including route mapping takes five working days after delivery. Mapping is carried out jointly by the fire protection officer, the Werkschutzleiter, and a Quarero technician.

Next step: Check the ONVIF and MQTT interfaces of your current PSIM for compatibility.

Legal Framework: KRITIS-Dachgesetz, NIS-2, and EU Machinery Regulation

The KRITIS-Dachgesetz is expected to enter into force in Q1 2026. The registration obligation with the BBK applies within six months of entry into force (Bundestag-Drucksache 20/9262). Operators who exceed the threshold and are not registered risk fines and personal liability for management.

NIS-2 places board-level liability on management for demonstrably inadequate physical protection (NIS-2 Directive 2022/2555, EUR-Lex). Article 21 requires risk management measures for physical and logical security equally. Management can no longer defer to the IT director when the perimeter is unprotected.

EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 replaces the previous Machinery Directive from January 2027. Autonomous machines with independent behaviour are explicitly covered (Regulation 2023/1230, EUR-Lex). Robotic patrols fall within scope and require corresponding declarations of conformity.

EN ISO 13482 governs safety requirements for personal care robots and service machines. For outdoor deployment on paved routes the standard applies and is referenced in the declaration of conformity. [EN ISO 13482, external link required.]

Documentation obligation: every patrol must be logged in an auditable manner. The retention period is at least 24 months. [Source to be inserted: statutory basis with external link required.] The Quarero platform stores route logs, detection events, and alarm histories in a revision-proof format.

Next step: Consolidate your compliance requirements from KritisV, NIS-2, and the Machinery Regulation into a single document.

Pilot Project at the Tank Terminal: 14-Week Plan

The pilot follows a fixed schedule. Weeks 1 to 2: site survey, Ex-zone classification, route planning with the fire protection officer. The output is a route map with all cleared traffic routes outside Ex zone 0/1.

Weeks 3 to 4: RaaS contract conclusion, revision of the Werkschutzordnung, Betriebsrat notification. Betriebsrat involvement is not optional. Robots with image capture are subject to co-determination under BetrVG §87.

Week 5: delivery and commissioning of QR-2 and QR-3 within 48 hours of arrival. Route mapping, interface tests to the control room, trial runs.

Weeks 6 to 10: parallel operation with existing security personnel. Evaluation of detection rates, false-alarm rate, and availability. During this phase the system is tuned, not signed off.

Weeks 11 to 14: reduction of Streife posts, transition to the pure response model, audit report. The outcome is a documented decision basis for management. It contains detection statistics, TCO reconciliation, and compliance mapping.

Trade-off: parallel operation in weeks 6 to 10 costs money, because both systems are running. Skipping this phase leaves no reliable data basis for the personnel reduction. That is the one point at which patience is warranted.

Next step: Schedule the site survey directly with Marcus Köhnlein.

Next Steps for Plant Managers

Four points follow in this order.

First: check whether your terminal exceeds the KritisV threshold of 420,000 t annual throughput. The threshold refers to total throughput, not to individual product groups.

Second: prepare the BBK registration if not yet completed. The lead time is not trivial. Internal statements from Werkschutz, IT, and management are required.

Third: review your existing Wachschutz contract for notice periods and actual TCO. Many contracts run with 6-month notice periods and automatic renewal. Operators aiming to start a pilot in Q2 2026 must give notice or restructure by Q4 2025 at the latest.

Fourth: submit a pilot request to Quarero. The site survey is free of charge and delivers a concrete route map for your site. For DACH-wide tank farm references, contact Marcus Köhnlein directly or use the contact form.