In the pipeline

From water to wastewater and district cooling, piping plays a major role. We look at some of the major players in this vital infrastructure sector.

Abu Dhabi Pipe Factory

The Abu Dhabi Pipe Factory LLC (ADPF) was established in 1981 in technical collaboration with Cord International of France. It is a leading manufacturer of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) pipes and fittings in the Gulf. It uses dual helical filament winding for core pipes from 25 mm to 2 000 mm, and continuous filament winding for jacket pipes from 250 mm to 3 200 mm.

The factory has a total area of 150 000 m², of which the production area is 40 000 m² (Abu Dhabi and Dubai combined). The production capacity is 50 000 tons of pipes and fittings a year. It has a combined total of nine production lines for dual helical winding and four for continuous winding.

ADPF pre-insulated GRP pipes are used widely in piping networks for district cooling systems. A pre-insulated GRP pipe consists of a core pipe, also called a carrier pipe, and a jacket pipe, also called a casing pipe, with polyurethane foam in the annular space between the pipes. Insulation provides the primary thermal resistance against heat gain in chilled water systems. Normally two pipes are laid in parallel in the same trench to serve as a separate supply and return.

Borouge

Borouge is a leading provider of innovative plastics solutions. Established in 1998 as a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Borealis, a leading European plastics provider, Borouge employs Borstar technology for end-use plastics applications throughout the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific and Africa.

Its petchem complex is located at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi, with a multi-billion dollar expansion due to commence production this year. This will effectively triple existing production capacity to two million tons a year, including – for the first time – polypropylene. Borouge provides a range of differentiated products for high-value infrastructure applications, including water, gas and industrial pipe systems and power and communications cables.

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Hepworth PME LLC is the Middle East’s premier manufacturer and supplier of a range of high-quality plastic pipes, fittings and accessories used for the distribution and transmission of water, wastewater and gas. Corys is the holding company. Distributed in Dubai for over 35 years, all products are represented by a chain of offices throughout the area. Hepworth products conform to the highest of international standards used in the region. Its substantial stockholding ensures it is able to consistently satisfy the requirements of the industry.

Hepworth PME offers a range of PVC-U pressure pipes and non-pressure pipes and fittings, PVC and ABS fittings and PP, PP-R, ABS and PE pipes in imperial and metric sizes. Its engineered fittings have been installed on sewerage, water supply, irrigation, fire mains, soil and waste contracts throughout the Middle East. Grease traps, end caps, land drain slotted pipes, long radius bends for street lighting bends, road gulleys, catch basins and sealed dry manholes are just some of the fabricated products from Hepworth PME.

In March 2009, Hepworth PME entered into a joint venture with George Fischer, a global corporation across 130 companies worldwide with 50 production sites (80 companies are based in Europe, 35 in Asia and the Middle East, 12 in America and two in Australia.) The company’s core competency is piping systems, plastic and metal fittings, valves and shut-offs for water, gas and other liquids.

Another recent joint venture is with MDS Meyer GmbH, a German specialist in the production of rubber seals and gaskets. The new company formed under this agreement, Corys MDS LLC, will produce a range of MDS branded rubber gaskets in Dubai. This latest step in the group’s growth will help reduce the high costs of importation and the attendant delays in transportation. It will also help expand its customer base worldwide.

Corys has manufacturing units in Rashidiya in Dubai, Dubai Investment Park and Qatar, as well as fabrication workshops in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. A new unit is due to open in 2010 that will double the production capacity to accommodate expansion within the UAE and other export markets. Corys employs over 800 staff across all its sites, and offers its customers a range of more than 25 000 products. A fleet of over 50 vehicles permits site delivery within an efficient timeframe.

Production is achieved with the use of European equipment of the highest quality from suppliers such as KraussMeffai, Battenfeld, Weber and Engel, and raw material from suppliers such as Borouge and Sabic. Hepworth PME is an industry leader in installing and integrating the Oracle ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. This automated system allows supply chain excellence, real-time management and communication, and gives Corys a major administrative advantage.

Recently recertified for ISO 9000, Hepworth PME has worked on iconic projects such as The Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab and Atlantis, and is one of only three approved suppliers to Dubai Municipality. It is aiming for ISO 14000 in environment management.