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CROSSROADS OF OPPORTUNiTY
HEAD LINES• PENTAIR X-FLOW BAGS AL ZAWRAH UF DEAL • QATAR AWARDS STRATEGIC WATER RESERVE PROJECT
SHORT TAKEHEDWIG MAES, PRESIDENT, EMEA, ROCkWELL AUTOMATION
ON THE RECORDDR kARL MILLAUER, SENIOR VP, AQUATECH
CONTROL/INSTRUMENTATIONDON CLARk, VP-GLOBAL PROCESS INDUSTRy SOLUTIONS, INVENSyS OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
SCOPING POWER AND WATER PROJECT MARKETS OUTSIDE THE GUlf REGION
april2012
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4/ Editor's Letter
NEWS
6/ The Metre
8/ Round up
12/ In the region
18/ At large
20/ Industry notes HSSE essentials
From wind to waterTechnolog, Blue Gold tie-up
PAS 55Qatar's aims for water security
26/ Short TakeHedwig Maes, President, Europe, Middle
East & Africa, Rockwell Automation
ON THE RECORD
28/ More than once Dr Karl M Millauer,
Senior Vice-President, Aquatech
COUNTRY REPORT
30/ OmanNew project activity in power and water
sectors may kick start only by 2017-2018
32/ InsightLee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2012
New battery for solar power sectorProducing bio-fuels with halophytes
SECTOR REPORT34/ Moderate growth
Where is the industrial valves market in the Middle East headed?
PRODUCT FOCUS
43/ Fixed advantageWhy fixed speed drives are not a ‘dying breed’ as many of us like to believe
ENERGY WORLD46/ 365 days after
WATER INDUSTRY48/ Opportunities beckonCareers within water quality, water and wastewater engineering sectors in Australia, the UAE and the UK
CONTROL/INSTRUMENTATION50/ Measuring prospects52/ Don's Dicta
ELECTRICAL REvIEW46/ High pot versus insulation
SPECIAL REPORT36/ WETEX 2012
ADvERTORIALS15/ PURE TECHNOLOGIES
PLUS55/ Marketplace58 Tenders & Contracts62/ Events Watch
contentsapril2012
8/39/COvER STORYCrossroads of opportunityScoping power and water project markets outside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
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MW-H2o combines the bi-monthly legacies of two power and water industry thought leadership brands into a monthly edition that provides an unbeatable, 360 degree perspective of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region's utility and energy sectors. You can read the digital version of the print edition at:www.megawhatme.com I www.h2ome.net
the risks come with the opportunityAre banks willing to fund smart grid projects of utilities, given their significance in terms of reduction of carbon emissions, integration of renewable energy to the grid and ultimately, a more efficient grid? The topic sparked a discussion which pitted bankers against the smart grid experts and technology providers at an event on smart grids held in Dubai last month. The bankers pointed out that smart grid projects stand a better chance of obtaining finance as part of a bigger energy related financing initiative than standalone projects.
Where smart meters are concerned, UK's British Gas managed to get banks to finance the purchase and installation of smart meters through the SPV route, with the project company which owns the meters receiving a leasing fee from British Gas and banks guided by British Gas’ capability to pay up the debt. In the case of smart grids though, being considered as part of a broader transmission set up means the financing could be structured differently because a power transmission project is typically perceived as a public asset. Hence, it would be necessary to have some kind of government support
in terms of framework or financial obligation. Another drawback is the fairly limited level of understanding about smart grids. Once that builds up, there should be greater financing flows, disclosure and transparency.
One of the bigger risks associated with smart grids is perhaps not where the money is actually invested. The objective of smart grid is to flatten the course of power demand and generation and ensure that energy is used efficiently. Given that integration of renewable energy is a key element of smart grid, sooner or later the utility will have to shut down power plants that still have a book value. Eventually, the risk will crystallise negatively on some companies, lenders and risk takers. Measuring and mitigating such risk will always be a difficult issue. The issues associated with smart grid financing is also encountered in carbon capture and storage (CCS). There is the risk of not building CCS facilities but at the same time, CCS cannot be a standalone, positive, net present value project.
Post-script: Early this month (April), The Telegraph reported that British Gas will have to replace many of the 400,000 smart meters it has installed in UK homes because they do not comply with new government guidelines.
PublisherDominic De Sousa
Associate PublisherLiam Williams • [email protected]
Chief Operations OfficerNadeem Hood
Editorial DirectorMelanie Mingas • [email protected]
EditorAnoop K Menon • [email protected]
Business Development DirectorVedran Dedic • [email protected]
+971 55 8644831
Marketing and PR ExecutiveCarole McCarthy • [email protected]
DesignRebecca Teece • [email protected]
Digital Services Manager IT Department
Troy Maagma • [email protected]
Web DeveloperJoel Azcuna • [email protected]
USA and CanadaKanika Saxena
Director - North America25 Kingsbridge Garden Cir. Suite 919
Mississauga, ON. Canada L5R [email protected]/fax: + 1 905 890 5031
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Head OfficePO Box 13700
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Web: www.megawhatme.comwww.h2ome.net
Printed by:Printwell Printing Press LLC
© Copyright 2011 CPI.All rights reserved.
While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of
all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.
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The spending envisaged by Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company (NWC) on water and wastewater developments between 2012 and 2020. Around $30 billion of this will be capital expenditure, with much of the spending targeted at wastewater projects.
The number of farms in Abu Dhabi that have stopped the cultivation of the water-intensive Rhodes grass. The grass is watered with more than 59% of the 1.5 billion m3/year of water used for irrigation in the emirate. In addition, 2,333 of 8,000 farms in Al Gharbiya have set up modern irrigation systems as part of a Dh133 million project to reduce the usage of water for palm trees.
The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of the global thermal power maintenance services market between 2012 and 2020. According to GBI Research, in 2011, coal fired plants accounted for 62% of the total market while oil plants contributed six per cent. The maintenance services market is largely driven by electricity demand and aging power infrastructure, leading to increased demand for maintenance services.
10,500
Is the storage capacity of Oman’s Wadi Dayqah dam, which was inaugurated last month. The Sultanate’s biggest dam will supply drinking water to residents of the Muscat governorate. It will also help reduce flooding in downstream areas and control the loss of flood water to the sea.
Wadi Dayqah dam
The combined value of two power projects to be tendered by Lebanon’s Energy and Water Ministry in May. Both projects will add 700 MW to the country’s grid. Lebanon has long suffered from severe power outages with power consumption in excess of 2,400 MW, while production is estimated at 1,500 MW.
$1.2 billion
Will be the market for advanced municipal wastewater treatment market in 2012 as cities the world over seek to process an additional 4.3 billion (US) gallons/day of wastewater. According to Lux Research, of the projected capital expenditure, $22.3 billion is in the developed world and $5.2 billion is in the developing world. An overwhelming 94% of the internationally accessible market is made up of old facilities that need refit or replacement, notes the report.
April20126
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Abu Dhabi backs Seychelles wind farm project
The foundation stone for a large scale wind farm project in the Seychelles, funded by Abu Dhabi, was laid recently. The first major renewable energy
project in the Seychelles, the 6MW wind farm will constitute 11% of installed capacity of electricity on the main island. The project is being funded by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) with Masdar as the project manager on behalf of the Government of the Seychelles and ADFD. Unison Co., a South Korean wind-power generation equipment maker, has been awarded the contract to build the wind farm. Upon completion, the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) of the Seychelles will take up ownership and operate and maintain the farm. The wind farm will have eight turbines in all - five will be located on Romainville Island and three on Ile du Port. “This announcement is a culmination of two years of close collaboration between Masdar and the Seychelles Energy Commission,” said Joel Morgan, Minister with portfolio responsibility for energy in Seychelles. “For the Seychelles, electricity generated from wind is a material first step towards diversifying the Seychelles electricity supply system and in the process help mitigate risks associated with energy supply and climate change.”
Bader Al Lamki,
Director, MasdarCarbon speaking
at the ground-breaking function
The Dow Chemical Company and Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to pursue Joint Development activities in desalination technologies. SWCC is the largest desalinated water producer in the world with 32 desalination plants responsible for 18% of the world’s desalinated water production. As part of the MoU, Dow will partner with SWCC on initiatives to share local and global best practices and insights, while conducting research into desalination processes and technologies ranging from Ultra-filtration and Reverse Osmosis (RO) to PAA and Microbial offerings. In July 2011, Dow had announced plans to invest in a best-in-class manufacturing facility for DOW FILMTEC RO elements in the Kingdom. Prior to that, in 2009, the company had also entered into a R&D collaboration agreement with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) with an initial focus on water and water treatment technologies.
Dow, SWCC in research MoU
Pure Technologies gets ISO 9001:2008 certification
Pure Technologies - Abu Dhabi has announced that it has satisfied the requirements for an ISO 9001:2008 certification as stipulated by the Society for Certifying
of Management Systems under project management of acoustic monitoring of bridges and structures, inspection and leak detection of water, wastewater, and oil and gas pipelines. Pure Technologies has implemented ISO 9001:2008 as part of its endeavour to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide services that meets customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Dubai Abattoirs opts for solar water heater system
Dubai Abattoirs is setting up a solar water heater system to make hot water required to clean slaughtering halls, tools and equipment. Ahmed
Hassan Al Shammari, Head of Abattoirs Section of Public Health Services, said that so far, his section had been using diesel-powered boilers to produce the steam needed to heat the cold water in the thermal exchange unit to 65°C, while chemicals maintained the required levels of the elements within the permissible limits. Under the new arrangement, 210 solar panels have been installed that can heat 70,000 litres of water to 80°C on daily basis. The new system will reduce the periods of operation of steam boilers and effectively reduce the consumption of diesel fuel and electricity to run boilers and the consumption of water and chemicals for boiler water treatment.
Solar panels on the
roofs of the abattoir
April20128
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roundupSiemens expands footprintin Saudi Arabia
Siemens has signed a land lease agreement with Saudi Industrial Property Authority, ‘MODON’ for the construction of a manufacturing and service facility
in Dammam. Under the agreement, Siemens Energy will lease a 220,000-square-metre plot of land in Dammam Industrial City and invest a three-digit million dollar figure in building a centre for the local manufacturing of gas turbines, compressors and heat recovery steam generators as well as repair shops and service facilities for the Saudi market. Once ready by late 2013, the centre will create job opportunities for young Saudis and serve as a technological hub for knowledge transfer. Siemens, in association with Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic (SPSP), already offers a two-year technical apprenticeship programme through SPSP, followed by one year on-the-job training at Siemens. The German major employs more than 1,850 people in its Riyadh headquarters, Jeddah, Dammam, Khobar and Dhahran.
Alstom upgrades gas turbine
Alstom has introduced an upgraded version of its GT13E2 gas turbine, its offering in the E Class gas turbine market. More than 150 GT13E2 gas
turbines have been installed worldwide representing a total generation capacity of over 32 GW. The gas turbine has also recorded over seven million operating hours and has been used in various configurations and industrial applications. The upgraded GT13E2 provides 200 MW of power, an additional 10% compared to the earlier rating thanks to compressor technology from Alstom’s advanced class gas turbines. The higher output is offered at an increased efficiency of 38%, which the company claims is the best in the segment. Further, the engine also offers enhanced environmental benefits in terms of lower CO2 emissions and also reduced water consumption to the extent of 60%.
Cross section of GT13E2
Hanovia appoints WET as UAE Distributor
UV disinfection specialist Hanovia has appointed Water Engineering Technologies (WET) as its new distributor in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). WET
will handle all sales, after-sales and technical support for Hanovia’s industrial UV products in the UAE. Halim Mirza, Hanovia’s global business manager for industrial markets, said: “Hanovia has many UV systems installed across the UAE in industries requiring high quality water, including the pharmaceutical, food and beverage processing sectors. Working with WET will definitely enhance Hanovia’s presence in the UAE and surrounding territories.” Based in the United Kingdom, with a worldwide distributor network, Hanovia has over 85 years’ experience in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of UV systems worldwide.
Lean Blow-Out trips, a hot topic
A senior engineer of Florida-based Turbine Technology Services Corporation (TTS) has published a well received paper in the Combined Cycle Journal (CCJ)
on the detection and prevention of Lean Blow Out trips, also referred to as LBOs. TTS Senior Systems Engineer Mitch Cohen shared his knowledge on the LBO problem affecting 7FA DLN-2.6 gas turbines as widespread use of these models expand with over 500 units in operation now. According to Cohen, an expert with more than two decades of experience in the design, operation, and maintenance of Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustion systems for gas turbines, the reliable operation of the DLN-2.6 combustor requires precise control of the combustor fuel/air ratio that contributes to achieving desired NOx and CO emission levels, while also maintaining low combustor dynamic levels and adequate flame stability over the DLN operating range.
A failure to achieve this required fuel-to-air ratio control can result not only in failure to maintain emissions limits, but in many instances, induce a flame out trip of the turbine. LBOs can saddle operators with costs running into tens of thousands of dollars, both in terms of lost generating revenue and increased maintenance costs because of reduced overhaul intervals. The CCJ article also provides operators with practical information about the causes and means of preventing LBO trips in DLN-2.6 combustors. It can be viewed at:
http://www.ccj-online.com/3q-2011/7f-users-group-blowout-trips/
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Flowserve opens Saudi manufacturing facility
Flowserve Corporation has set up a new valve manufacturing plant and training centre in the Dammam Second Industrial City. The new plant is a
55,000 square foot facility with capabilities for component machining, valve assembly, and testing, and is operated by Flowserve Abahsain Flow Control Company, a joint venture between Flowserve and Saudi business group S&A Abahsain. The facility reached an important milestone in late 2011 with the successful manufacture, inspection and shipment of its first large bore control valves to be completely assembled and tested in Saudi Arabia, to a major grass roots refinery project in the Kingdom. The Dammam facility will have the capability to manufacture a broad range of valves and actuators, including Flowserve Valtek globe, ball, plug, butterfly and severe service control valves; Flowserve Valbart trunnion mounted ball valves; Flowserve Durco/Atomac Teflon-lined plug, ball and butterfly valves; Flowserve Serck Audco plug valves; Flowserve Limitorque electric actuators and Flowserve Automax pneumatic actuators. The facility also includes a training centre for valve and actuation products and a fully equipped Quick Response Centre (QRC) to provide service and repair support to local customers.
ENERCON expands to the Middle East
Nuclear engineering firm ENERCON has announced the setting up its first Middle East office in Abu Dhabi. The Georgia, US-headquartered ENERCON
is a highly respected engineering, nuclear licensing, environmental, technical and management services firm. "Our New Plant Services Division has opened offices in Europe and the Middle East to respond to the growing demand for superior services in engineering, licensing, operations and outage support,” said John Richardson, President, ENERCON. “The opening of these two offices focuses resources on developing business in new nuclear power markets in Europe, especially Central Europe, and the Middle East, where a number of countries are looking to develop new nuclear power programmes, or expand their existing ones in light of the Fukushima accident.”
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MENA MBR market to grow rapidly, says F&SStudy sees region hosting the largest MBR plants in the world; forecasts market size of $280.30 million by 2015
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the fastest-growing regional Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) market in the world. According to a Frost &
Sullivan study, the region’s MBR market is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.77% to reach $280.30 million by 2015. The dominant markets for MBR systems include the commercial sector, where urbanisation and real estate development are the main drivers, the oil and gas sector which has been quick to embrace advanced wastewater treatment technologies and the municipal and industrial segments.
The region has seen MBR installations of capacities greater than 20,000 m3/day and more large capacity plants are expected, given the acute water stress and
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GE bags $200-mn steam turbines contract from SEC
The new units will support PP10 power plant’s combined-cycle expansion; increase overall plant capacity by more than 50%
GE has received a contract worth $200 million to supply steam turbine technology, power generation services and distributed control systems for the
conversion of Saudi Electricity Company’s (SEC) PP10 power plant from simple to combined-cycle operation.
“The conversion to combined-cycle operation is part of our growth plan to add an average of 4,000 MW of power each year, with a vision of doubling the grid capacity by the year 2020,” said Eng. Ali Saleh Al Barrak, president and CEO for SEC. “In addition to increasing plant capacity by more than 50%, from about 2,200 to 3,500 MW, the conversion will raise overall plant efficiency.”
"This new agreement is testimony to our growing relationship with SEC and reflects our continued commitment to deliver tailored technology solutions to the Saudi energy sector,” added Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s president and CEO for the Middle East.
The Riyadh PP10 site recently started commercial operation in the simple cycle mode, adding about 2,000 MW to Saudi Arabia’s grid and increasing the power capacity in SEC’s Central Operation Area by 20%.
GE will provide 10 of its SC series steam turbines for the PP10 combined cycle expansion. The company had previously supplied 40 7EA Gas Turbines for the PP10 site. In addition to the SC series steam turbines, GE will supply new balance-of-plant mechanical and electrical equipment. An existing simple cycle Mark Vle integrated control system (ICS) will be expanded to incorporate the entire combined-cycle plant. The PP10 site is currently the biggest installation worldwide for GE's Mark VIe ICS.
The combined-cycle conversion is part of SEC’s growth plan
Shipment of the GE equipment is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2013, with services to start in the second quarter of that year. The first two combined-cycle blocks at PP10 are scheduled to begin commercial operation in the second quarter of 2014, in time to meet summer peak demands, while the full combined-cycle plant will be on line by the first quarter of 2015.
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emphasis on recycling and reuse of grey water (domestic sewage) and industrial effluents. “The MENA MBR market is expected to witness a high growth trajectory in the next 5-10 years on account of large number of projects being commissioned in medium and large range plants, with capacity ranging between 5,000 m3/day and 50,000 m3/day. The larger plants are being developed in the UAE and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region, while the small to medium range plants are being installed in countries like Algeria, Libya and Iran,” says the report, titled ‘Analysis of Middle East and North Africa Membrane Bioreactor Market.’
Among all the countries in the MENA region, the UAE market is approaching maturity and is currently stagnant; this is partially due to the economic crisis and infrastructure sector slowdown. But countries to watch out for include Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, and Kuwait. In the quest for sustainable and green growth, the region is also developing smart city concepts, wherein MBRs would play a central role in treating grey/sewage water back to fresh water levels.
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April2012
UP NEXTPG24 - Qatar awards strategic water reserve project
PG26 - Interview: Hedwig Maes, President, Europe, Middle East& Africa, Rockwell Automation
PG34 - The industrial valves market in the Middle East
PG46 - Emerging economies stick to their nuclear energy plans
PG52 - Interview: Don Clark, Vice President, Global Process Industry Solutions, Invensys Operations Management (IOM), Invensys
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BioAir to set up demonstration project in QatarAshghal and BioAir Solutions have jointly selected a particularly difficult pumping station to test the latter’s odour control technology
BioAir Solutions, a leading provider of biological odour and emission control solutions, has been selected by Ashghal - the government agency that controls
the sewerage network servicing Doha, Qatar - to install a demonstration unit of the company’s odour control technology for wastewater treatment plant and pumping stations. A high-performance EcoFilter EF52, which will satisfy all of the goals of Ashghal, is being installed in Doha and will be operational in the spring of 2012.
Ashghal is responsible for operating more than 150 pumping stations that handle the transport of sewage to Doha’s wastewater treatment facilities. Each of these pumping stations is a potential source of odour. Due to the hot weather (up to 55°C in summer) and many kilometres of sewer lines, the H2S and organic odour concentrations at these pumping stations are normally very high (exceeding 500 ppmv H2S). This results in strong sources of odour and related public health concerns.
Currently, most of the pumping stations in Doha use activated carbon to remove odours. Because of the high concentrations of H2S, the carbon quickly is “used up” and must be replaced. This has many negative impacts for Ashghal. Replacing the carbon is both labour-intensive and costly for the utility. Proper disposal of the spent carbon is expensive because it cannot be land-filled. And, when the carbon in a system has been “used up,” the odour problem
The EF52 which will be installed in Doha
immediately returns. This makes maintenance of these systems a laborious and expensive task.
BioAir’s EcoFilter technology is capable of handling H2S concentrations in excess of 500 ppmv while achieving removal efficiencies of greater than 99.5%. This performance is expected to exceed the requirements of Ashghal for its pumping stations. In addition, the BioAir EcoFilter functions continuously without the need to remove or replace the media. Thus, the operating costs are negligible compared to the activated carbon systems, the company has claimed. BioAir’s proprietary EcoBase media is at the heart of this technology. The BioAir EcoFilter also operates without discharging any environmentally harmful by-products.
A particularly difficult pumping station has been selected by both Ashghal and BioAir Solutions as the demonstration site. A single EF52 will replace an activated carbon unit at this station. This carbon unit has often been overcome by the high H2S loadings at this pump station resulting in frequent odour complaints. The EF52 is expected to demonstrate its ability to eliminate this problem with little need for operator attention.
ABB announces major grid deals in Dubai and KSA Bags contract to improve grid reliability in Dubai Airport; gets $700-mn substations order to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s grid
Power and automation technology major ABB bagged two grid-related projects in March - the first contract, awarded by Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC)
– Engineering Projects, is for the extension of the existing ABB SCADA monitoring system at the Dubai Airport, while the second contract, from the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), is for constructing five new 110/13.8 kV substations that will enhance grid capacity and help meet the growing demand for electricity in the Western and Central regions of the Saudi Arabia.
In the Dubai Airport project, the scope of supply includes RTUs, telecommunication and integration of new field equipment in the SCADA system. The ABB system will allow full supervision and easy operation of the electrical grid of a modern airport that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ranked as fourth busiest airport in the world. ABB was first awarded the project for the implementation of the Airport Distribution SCADA (11kV network) in 2004. ABB installed RTUs, fibre optic cables (for SCADA system) and integrated RTUs (for Ring Main Units) and PLCs from the main distribution system to create an in-plant SCADA system.
April201214
Pure Technologies offers a patented leak detection technology for water, wastewater and petroleum pipelines that provides owners with information for
pinpointing leaks and pockets of trapped gas in pressurised pipelines. The SmartBall tool is an instrumented aluminum core encased in a foam shell that is inserted into the line and tracked above ground through the duration of the survey. As SmartBall traverses through bends and valves through pipeline it creates an acoustic profile of the line. The device calculates the locations of leaks by detecting ultrasonic pulses emitted by the ball at receivers attached to pipe appurtenances. The locations of leaks relative to the receiver positions are determined by analysing arrival times of the pulses.
The SmartBall technology functions as a condition assessment tool for pressurised pipes. Upon retrieval of the tool, the acoustic data recorded is analysed and cross-referenced with the position data from the receivers (SBRs) to determine the location of the leaks and gas pockets. Pure Technologies also offers leak detection inspection for
oil and gas pipelines from 6” in diameter and larger. Pure Technologies’ accurate and trusted in-line
SmartBall® and Sahara® leak detection systems allow water utilities to proactively locate large diameter pipeline leaks that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, thereby minimising costs associated with potential ruptures and water loss. Recent projects in Qatar, Oman, and a successful pilot run in Dubai demonstrate successful leak detection inspections in the Middle East region.
Pure Technologies is a world leader in the development and application of innovative technologies for inspection, monitoring and management of physical infrastructure.
smartBall® in-line leak Detection system
April2012
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intheregionSiemens bags contracts worth $201.3 million in Qatar
The contracts awarded by Kahramaa involves supply of specialist utility equipment, services for power infrastructure and a pilot smart metering project in and around the capital Doha
Siemens WLL, the Qatari unit of Siemens, has announced the signing of two major contracts with Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation
(Kahramaa) that will further improve the power infrastructure in and around Doha, and enable the monitoring and optimisation of energy consumption in the capital. Kahramaa is the sole utility company responsible for transmission and distribution of electric power and water in Qatar.
Under the first contract, worth $188 million, Siemens will supply to Kahramaa equipment for Phase 10 of the Qatar Power Transmission System Expansion project including gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), power and earthing transformers, shunt reactors, protection relays, relay protection panels and substation control systems for substations located in and around the capital. The Phase 10 project will be broken down into two stages, with Stage 1 consisting of six 66/11KV turnkey substations and Stage 2 comprising seven 132/66/11KV turnkey substations. Both stages are set to be completed over two years.
The second contract, worth $13.3 million, includes the installation of approximately 17,000 smart meters and the supply of communication modules for 15,000 water meters. The purpose of the smart metering project is to test the environment, rules and regulations for managing customer demand during peak periods and improve the customer billing process.
The scope of the project, which covers three areas in Doha, includes delivering a communication network to connect the meters to an existing fiber-optic network at the 66 kV substations, integrate existing back-office systems to improve the billing process, provide GPS location information for all the meters/modules, and integrate the Itron-provided AMR (automatic meter reading) solution in the Pearl of Qatar.
“These projects are another positive step in the development of Qatar’s power industry and our relationship with Kahramaa. The expansion of Qatar is necessitating the growth of its infrastructure and Siemens has the portfolio of services to provide the specialist equipment, innovative solutions and support,” said Martin à Porta, CEO, Siemens WLL, Qatar.
“Qatar’s economy is witnessing rapid growth and undergoing a fundamental transformation, including in the power sector, which calls for the type of technological
Pentair X-Flow bags Al Zawrah UF deal
Cadagua selects Pentair X-Flow’s Seaflex ultra-filtration (UF) membranes for its Ajman project
Pentair X-Flow has been selected to supply its Seaflex ultra-filtration (UF) membranes to the new Al Zawrah seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO)
plant in Ajman, UAE. The UF system in the Al Zawrah desalination plant will produce 4,783 m3/hour (115 MLD) pre-treated seawater to feed the RO membrane system.
The end-user Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) is the utility provider for the Emirates of Ajman, Ras Al Khaima, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah. FEWA owns and operates several seawater desalination plants to supply potable water to its consumers and mainly employs RO technology. It is the first time however that FEWA has implemented UF technology as pre-treatment step.
The Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract for the 45,560 m3/day Al Zawrah SWRO plant was won by the consortium of Cadagua and local Ajman company Essa Engineering & Marine Services. The contract, valued at approximately €41 million, includes the design, manufacture, supply, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the desalination plant.
The Al Zawrah SWRO plant is scheduled to be built and commissioned in 2012. Pentair X-Flow’s UF membranes were selected by Cadagua to provide optimum pre-treatment for SWRO. Pentair X-Flow claims that pre-treatment with UF allows for higher RO fluxes and has a positive impact on all vital aspects of a SWRO plant – ranging from a consistent quality of the RO feed water to a significantly smaller plant design, a better performance and a reduced CAPEX.
know-how, innovative products and smart solutions that Siemens has to offer. We are committed to supporting any necessary infrastructure that will need to be developed to support Qatar’s ongoing transformation in the future,” said Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO, Siemens Energy, Middle East.
Siemens has built a substantial part of the Qatari power grid in recent years, having secured €2.3 billion worth of total orders for the expansion of the domestic electricity network. The latest deals with Kahramaa follow the recently announced strategic alliance between Siemens AG and Qatar Foundation, which includes setting up a regional centre of competence in Qatar for the Siemens power transmission and distribution business.
April201216
concentration of suspended organic and inorganic substances so that the performance of biological treatment is unaffected,” said Zoubi. “Before discharge into the sewers, the industrial units inside KIZAD will treat the wastewater to pre-determined standards, which will add an additional margin of safety.” In Phase 1, the WWTP will treat an average daily flow of 6,700m3/day, with an option for expansion to 11,000m3/day in Phase 2. Phase 1 will become operational by third quarter of 2012.
"We are very excited to work with Metito," said Ashraf Al Khaznadar, Executive Vice President from the Abu Dhabi Ports Company. "KIZAD is one of the biggest and most ambitious projects in the region; therefore we needed a partner with a successful track record both regionally and internationally."
Metito has executed a similar project for treating combined industrial and domestic wastewater flow, but on a 30-year concession basis, for Dubai Investment Park (DIP). The modular WWTP, which has been expanded in phases in line with DIP’s growth, has a current installed capacity of 40,000 m3/day; in 1999, when the plant commenced operations, its capacity stood at a little over to 1,000 m3/day.For the KIZAD project, Metito will also operate and maintain the plant for a year under the terms of the contract.
By Anoop K Menon
Metito bags Dh77-mn KIZAD wastewater treatment project
Phase 1 to become operational by 3Q 2012.
Metito has signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) to supply a wastewater treatment plant for the Khalifa Industrial Zone
Abu Dhabi (KIZAD). Under the Design-Build contract, valued at Dh77.7 million, Metito will design and construct a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in KIZAD, in addition to developing all associated and required infrastructure and utilities. Kizad is a 417 sq km industrial zone strategically located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai with one of the world's most advanced deepwater seaports.
Omar Zoubi, General Manager of Metito Abu Dhabi said: "We are very pleased to be onboard with the Abu Dhabi Ports Company. KIZAD is a very ambitious project that will contribute to the transformation of Abu Dhabi into a world-class trade destination."
The plant, which will occupy a total area of 81,250m2, will treat combined inflows of domestic and industrial wastewater. Hence, Metito has gone in for advanced extended aeration technology for wastewater treatment. “Preliminary screening and primary treatment will limit
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Cadagua has been 40 years taking care of the planet’s most valuable resource. Every day, we transform 6 million m3 of water into a safe source for human consumption, we return 8 million m3 of sewage, clean to the natural waterways and we desalinate more than 1,4 million m3 of seawater. We know water is our future.
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All Gas - Sustainable bioenergy from sewageThe €12 million ‘All-Gas’ demonstration project will exploit residual nutrients in wastewater for producing algal biofuels
Global infrastructure and environmental services company aqualia has taken on the co-ordination of a new EU-backed algal biofuel demonstration project
called ‘All-Gas’ involving the use of residual nutrients in wastewater for cultivating sustainable, low-cost and fast-growing algae. The €12 million, five year project has officially kicked-off at a wastewater treatment plant in Chiclana, Southern Spain, with the construction of the first algal culture ponds. To date, much of the work to develop biofuels from algae have been at small-scale, laboratory level. Further, none have proved cost-effective enough, against the market price for fuels. The All-Gas project is the first time in Europe and perhaps globally, where an algal biofuel project has the funding to scale up and demonstrate the technology at a commercial level.
The project has attracted €7 million funding through the European Commission’s seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which supports energy-related projects in line with the aims of EU Directive 2009/28/EC. The EU Directive requires that 20% of the block’s energy needs to be produced from renewable fuels by 2020 to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, with additional requirement that 10% of biofuels need to be met through transport-related activities. European Commission Project Officer, Dr Kyriakis Maniatis said: “To help meet the EU’s ambitious renewable energy targets, we are supporting innovative technology approaches, and algae biofuels are one of the most exciting prospects around. The All-Gas project is one of the only three projects selected among the 20 proposals we received for that topic.”
Bio-energy outputA total of 400 fleet vehicles are projected to be fuelled from the combined biodiesel and bio-methane outputs, assuming
the project’s target productivity of 3,000 kilograms of dry algae per day is reached with expected oil content of about 20%. While 200 vehicles would be fuelled by biodiesel, the remaining 200 will run on bio-methane produced from the anaerobic digestion of raw wastewater and biomass residues. aqualia will be working with six other EU partners on the project.
The All-Gas project will demonstrate the full sequence of processes, from growing the algae to testing the fleet vehicles on the biofuel produced. The project will show how biofuels can be developed cost effectively. This will be achieved by cultivating fast-growing micro-algae, using the nutrient residuals in wastewater, harvesting the algae, and processing the biomass for oil and other chemical extractions through enhancing efficiencies.
Frank Rogalla of aqualia, who is the project leader, said: “We are turning an expensive environmental problem of cleaning polluted wastewater into a sustainable bioenergy source. The opportunity is such that 60 million people, roughly the UK population, would be able to power one million vehicles from just flushing their toilet!”
The technology also delivers a number of other benefits. First, the process removes wastewater pollutants (nitrogen and phosphorous) from the water to feed the algae. This eliminates the need for petrochemical-based fertilisers, and reduces sludge management costs. Second, the energy harvested is from the wastewater and its residues without any need for electrical energy, a necessity where standard wastewater treatment process is concerned. This also reduces associated CO2 emissions.
Algae have many advantages over first generation biofuel crops, such as oil palm, sugar cane and canola, which have been mired in controversy. They allow higher yields, faster growth, lower land requirements as well as reducing the competition with food production for land and water resources. The process also results in additional by-products including fertiliser, biochemicals (colorants, proteins, enzymes) and feedstock without depleting other food sources. The project will be implemented in two stages. The first phase of two years will be the initial prototype phase; the second phase would be the construction and commercial operation of an algae cultivation facility of 10 hectares (roughly 10 football fields). The final report will be published in 2016.
Miguel Jurado, aqualia´s Vice President feels that the technology can be easily transferred to other sunny regions. He said: “(There) is the potential to roll-out the technology to 17 countries we operate, including Mexico, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia.” Prof. Charles Bank, Head of Environmental Biotechnology, University of Southampton,added: “The UK green economy has a significant part to play in these projects. Our specific knowledge on bioprocesses, which turn waste biomass into biofuel, for instance, has shown that algae ponds and farm digestion can create an integrated system to foster bioenergy production.”
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The press
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Address water risks onlineWWF and DEG have launched the Water Risk Filter to help corporate identify and mitigate water risks in their business operations.
A global online tool launched by WWF and German development finance institution DEG (Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH)
enables companies and investors to address their water-related risks. WWF and DEG have created a practical online questionnaire that not only identifies water risk in supply chains and investment portfolios, but also provides practical steps to mitigate risk.
“Water availability is the most underestimated critical issue for the companies we are financing, but we believe that financial institutions can help make the companies more sustainable in their performance. Our work with WWF looks beyond the risks and shows practical ways how to change them into business opportunities,” said Bruno Wenn, Chairman of DEG.
The Water Risk Filter incorporates WWF’s science-based approach to water stewardship. It has a number of unique features:
• It is easy to use. Geared specifically for non-experts, it guides users through a simple questionnaire and a pre-assessment survey that uses industry and geographic information to evaluate in less than five minutes if additional evaluation is necessary.• It is global and draws on data sheets for 235 countries and territories, providing interactive maps and case studies.• The tool uses the best available data as well as company specific information to analyse all relevant indicators of water risk.• The tool goes beyond an assessment and provides a mitigation toolbox for the user.
“The Water Risk Filter will undoubtedly identify water ‘red zones’ – those places where scarcity creates investment risk. The answer is not to abandon those places; from a practical standpoint this won’t be possible. Instead we must turn red to green and manage resources within scarcity,” said Stuart Orr, WWF Freshwater Manager.
Ivo Mulder, Programme Officer, Biodiversity and Ecosystems/ Water and Finance of UNEP welcomed the water risk filter and stressed the important role of risk assessment for companies in terms of competitiveness, reputation and investor confidence.
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HSSE essentialsThe region’s oil & gas indusTry should achieve iTs
sTraTegic goals wiThouT compromising healTh, safeTy, securiTy, and environmenT (hsse).
Ali Rashid Al Jarwan, CEO, Abu Dhabi Marine Operating company (ADMA-OPCO)
believes that major incidents like the Gulf of Mexico are material to step change in oil & gas industry’s regulations and practices. “Equally, I hope implementing the lessons learnt will be addressed on industry-wide basis,” he said. ADMA-OPCO is a major producer of crude oil and gas from the offshore areas of Abu Dhabi and operates two major fields Umm Shaif and Zakum that are considered among the world’s giant oil fields.
Al Jarwan pointed out that the oil and gas industry is systematic in upgrading procedures, practices and methods of working. However, growth in faster cycles of execution has significantly upped the magnitude of change and therefore, the need for adequate change management. He said: “In summary, Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE) is about recognition of people competency in every angle of activity related to technology or best practices in operations.”
Al Jarwan feels that while safety culture has struck deep roots within the region’s oil and gas industry, the key challenges are environment, compliance with local and global requirements and ever-improving quality and HSE standards, especially when the industry is under a performance stretch. He opined: “Health and health risk assessment need to grow in the oil and gas industry, and compliance with excellent practices and regulations should be subjected to periodic audit.”
Al Jarwan will be chairing the sixth SPE Middle East Health, Safety, Security and Environment Conference and Exhibition (MEHSSE), organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in Abu Dhabi from April 2-4, 2012. He expects MEHSSE to play a vital role in addressing the HSSE challenges facing the region’s oil & gas industry by bringing together operators, IOCs, NOCs, government departments and leading contractors in an open forum, updating them with the latest practices and regulations, and also strengthening relationships
towards more collaboration and joint efforts for a better future. The theme for 2012 edition is ‘Sustaining World Energy through an Integrated HSSE and Business Approach,’ the objective being to provide essential knowledge to assist achieving strategic goals within the oil and gas industry without compromising HSSE.
Al Jarwan defines a successful HSSE programme as one that yields absolutely minimum losses. HSSE, he continued, brings value to the business, “when the business achieves results with no harm to people, no property damage and no harm to the environment,” which also entails a lot of thinking from professional teams as well as collective efforts in execution. “Thus investing time, efforts and renewed equipment for improving HSSE performance is also good business,” he observed. “In ADMA-OPCO, we look to HSSE as an excellent business segment to look after. The passion for HSE, quality assurance, maintenance and integrity management is visible in the organisation and expected to immerse into the company’s culture so sustaining good performance from 50 years oil facilities’ shall be possible with God’s blessing.”
Al Jarwan sees a lot of success stories being shared at the sixth SPE MEHSSE. “Learning will be encouraged in several ways and directions and attending the conference will benefit all,” he concluded.
Al Jarwan is currently the chairman of the SPE Middle East Board since 2007, and prior to that, from 2004 to 2006, he also served on the SPE International Board as a Director of the Middle East Region. He has also received several recognition awards amongst them the SPE Regional Service Award in 1992 and the distinguished SPE Membership in 1999.
By anoop K menon
April2012
health and health risk assessment
need to grow in the oil and gas
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Inside a warehouse in the Mussafah Industrial Area of Abu Dhabi, a wind turbine is being subjected
to serious testing. But it is not its electricity generation potential that the testers are after; rather, they are interested in the turbine’s water production potential. This turbine produces water by condensing humidity in the air to create water or simply put, it helps re-create the rain phenomenon.
Eole Water, the inventor of the water producing WMS 1000 Wind Turbine, first introduced the product in the Middle East during the 2011 World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi. In September 2011, the company decided to bite the bullet by kick-starting a testing programme in Abu Dhabi at its own expense. “We wanted to see how the turbine worked in difficult local conditions, test the water quality and find out if there are problems with sand, salt or pollution,” explained Thibault Janin, Marketing Director, Eole Water.
Subject to outdoor temperature, wind and humidity, the WMS1000 turbine (in standalone mode) can produce 350 litres/day in the desert zone (35 degree C- 30% HR), going up to 1,200 litres/day in the coastal
From wind to waterAbu DhAbi will soon host the region’s first pilot instAllAtion of A winD turbine which
proDuces Drinking wAter from Air.
zone (30 degree C- 70% HR). Coupled with solar PV, production can go up to 550 litres/day in the desert and 1,800 litres/day in the coastal zones. “In the course of our testing in Abu Dhabi, water production averaged between 600-700 litres/day. On the whole, our expectations have been met,” said Janin.
The wind turbine features a 30kW direct drive generator, which supplies the electricity to a water maker system inside to produce water. The moisture in the air is condensed by cooling it below dew point in a large humidity condenser (with an equivalent heat exchanger). The condensed water is then collected, filtered and re-mineralised for drinking purposes. Thibault pointed out that the condenser is made out of a special stainless steel alloy, which has been specially adapted to the production of drinking water without the risk of corrosion. Another unique element is Eole Water’s proprietary electricity regulation technology, which helps stabilise intermittent wind and solar energy so that the machine can work with stable power. In the absence of wind or solar energy, the technology can help power the turbine to produce water by tapping grid or back-up
generator power. The WMS1000 Wind Turbine
integrates three levels of wind protection that can withstand winds of up to 180 km/hour. It has been designed to operate within the environmental, technical, human and logistical constraints of remote areas without too much maintenance. “A 1,000 litres/day of drinking water, 30 kW/day of electricity and a lifetime of 20 years – were the thoughts driving the development,” said Janin. In addition to food safe stainless steel, other highlights included anti-corrosion treated aluminium and copper for heat exchangers, hydraulically tilted masts to ease logistics and maintenance interventions, a remote monitoring system to monitor and back up data about the different components and detect any problems in their working and a self-cleaning heat exchanger system that reduces maintenance.
The next step, after ground testing is over, will be tests of the wind, mast, wind orientation and the like. The company is in the process of studying several sites for the first pilot installation of WMS1000 Wind Turbine in Abu Dhabi. “We are looking at different sites – in Al Ain, in Musaffah itself and near the Saudi border. The wind turbine will be financed by Eole Water, while the location will be the purview of the local partner,” said Janin.
by Anoop k menon
upintheair
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the eole water
team outside the Abu Dhabi
warehouse where the ground tests
are being conducted
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perfectfit
Blue Gold Technology’s Jeremy Llewellyn and Technolog’s Chris Hawthorn at WETEX 2012.
UAE-based leak detection specialists Blue Gold Technology has formally tied up with the
UK-based Technolog, a global leader in data logging, remote monitoring and pressure control products for water networks. Under the arrangement, Blue Gold will provide distribution and support services for Technolog’s water products portfolio in the Middle East.
Chris Hawthorn, Export Account Manager, Technolog said: “All over the world, in each market, we prefer to work together with the best distribution companies who possess, in our judgement, the right commercial and technical capabilities to support the products sold and also ensure their correct deployment in the right kind of applications. That’s why we chose to go with Blue Gold in the region, and having worked with them last year, we have started seeing some good prospects.”
Jeremy Llewellyn, CEO, Blue Gold Technology pointed out that Technolog’s equipment is a great fit with his company’s existing leak detection offerings for the region. He continued: “We will mainly be focussing on pressure and flow control as well as logging of chemical parameters like pH and chlorine onsite. These products are an important part of a water utility’s leak detection or awareness or leak management strategy. Moreover, all of Technolog's products are manufactured in the UK and come with warranty from the factory, which we will be supporting here in the region.”
“Our equipment enables water utilities to get high quality and frequent data back from their network to a
central point in order to enable them to better manage their networks,” added Hawthorn.
Llewellyn continued: “Pressure and flow are two important aspects when you look at leakage, and these data loggers are very effective at monitoring flow levels. For example, they can be set to alarm so that if the night flow goes above a certain threshold, engineers can start investigating the area thoroughly for leakage. We can text the alarms directly to the mobiles of the responsible engineers so that they attend to the problem directly and immediately rather than let the information reach them days later through the chain of command. The data loggers are a good monitoring tool for pressure management too. Technolog’s Modulo data logger-cum-Electronic PRV controller can be attached to a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) to control pressure increase or decrease depending on day or night, peak or low demand. Reducing the pressure in the network to the minimum level helps reduce the amount of water being lost through existing leaks.”
For a city of Dubai’s size, Hawthorn expects close to 1,000 measuring points for flow monitoring. He said: “I expect a significant number of measuring points for pressure control too - it’s just another case of identifying, once we have the data, the critical points in the network and where the control is going to be.”
Pointing out that the value is not so much in the hardware than in the data, Hawthorn elaborated: “We have multiple options for displaying the data through our software called PMAC, either in a standalone environment or by integrating that data into an existing SCADA or hydraulic model set up.”
Hawthorn claimed that Technolog’s data loggers do 90% of what a SCADA system does for 10% of the cost. Seconding that, Llewellyn said that data loggers are a viable alternative in terms of budgetary cost and value for money, either as an add on to an existing SCADA system or filling in the gaps in that system or even as an alternative. He elaborated: "Setting up RTU units as part of SCADA roll outs take a lot of time. There are areas where the water company may not be able to set up RTUs because of costs, location or even visual impact. You can fill your network with these data loggers in less than 12 months and have your SCADA unit complete without spending the millions required for deploying SCADA across the entire network. We have put these in water well fields in the deserts. Why put an RTU in the middle of nowhere and get power to it with all the expense?”
“Our data loggers don’t really compete with SCADA. Rather, they complement the investment utilities have made in their SCADA network," added Hawthorn
By Anoop K Menon
Technolog ties up with UAE’s Blue Gold
BLuE GoLd To sELL, sErviCE And supporT TECHnoLoG’s dATA LoGGinG, rEMoTE MoniTorinG And prEssurE
ConTroL produCTs in THE MiddLE EAsT.
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PAS 55BSI’S new BuSIneSS centrIc Standard for
aSSet management IS BeIng adopted By organISatIonS worldwIde
During a presentation on PAS 55 at a conference in Dubai last year, Gary Graham, VP-
Middle East, ABS Consulting posed a question to his audience: ‘How many in this room have implemented PAS 55? In the entire room, only one hand went up, serving to re-enforce Graham's opinion that while PAS 55 is winning adherents in the US and Europe, the same may not hold true for the Middle East.
To the uninitiated, PAS 55 is the British Standards Institution's (BSI) Publicly Available Specification for the optimised management of physical assets. It is applicable to any organisation where physical assets are a key or critical factor in achieving its business goals. PAS 55 defines asset management as “systematic and coordinated activities and practices through which an organisation optimally and sustainably manages its assets and asset systems, their associated performance, risks and expenditures over their lifecycles for the purpose of achieving its organisational strategic plan.”
But how does PAS 55 differ from conventional asset management systems? Graham elaborated: “Whereas conventional asset integrity management systems emphasised
regulatory compliance, PAS 55 goes a step further and talks about improving the Return on Investment (ROI). Again, conventional systems focus on the critical elements of your asset, while PAS 55 takes a more holistic view. So it looks not only at business processes within maintenance, operations and engineering, but also at general business processes. Management and maintenance of assets is only a part and not the whole basis of asset management.” The PAS 55 standard is based on the concept of Deming’s PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act), oft described as a ‘methodical approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.’ PAS 55 views asset management as a continual cycle of activity made up of:1. General requirements2. Asset management policy 3. Asset management strategy, objectives and plans4. Asset management enablers and controls5. Implementation of asset management plans6. Performance assessment and improvement
Management review
For a successful PAS 55 implementation, the buy-in of top
management is critical. “You need to sell it to senior management because at the end of the day, they need to see the results. The benefits of going down this route have to outwear the costs,” said Graham. He feels that the ideal entry route would be undertaking a project to establish PAS 55 within the organisation. Another option would be to carry out an audit or GAP analysis and this could be limited to certain areas.
While a Greenfield site provides the opportunity to establish management systems, including PAS 55, from scratch, Brownfield sites tend to have a basic asset management system in place which may cover certain aspects of PAS 55. “You can identify the shortfalls through an audit or GAP analysis and build up your existing system to meet the requirements of PAS 55,” said Graham. He summed up the key benefits of PAS 55 implementation as: • Quantifiable improvement in performance via cost optimisation and increased overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)• Safer, more reliable and more efficient operations• Improved safety and integrity• Increased operational time and improved profitability• Fringe benefits include increased confidence in future operations and maintenance work processes, and solid foundation to implement future expansions.
A powerful message that PAS 55 sends out is that regulatory compliance is not incompatible with maximising ROI. With PAS 55, organisations benefit not only from a regulatory standpoint but also in terms of cost savings derived from effective asset management, which enhances their competitive advantage in the long run. Graham noted that PAS55 is aimed at making efficiencies across the board to increase productivity and profitability as well as reduce safety injuries and environmental impact type considerations.
By anoop K menon
assetnotes
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Qatar awards strategic water reserve project
Hyder Consulting CHairman sir alan tHomas signs ContraCts witH KaHramaa for tHe Qr98-mn projeCt, tHe
world’s largest water reservoir
Hyder Consulting chairman siralan thomas and H.e. dr mohamed Bin saleh al sada, minister of energy and industry and Chairman of the permanent Committee of water resources at the signing ceremony.
Infrastructure giant Hyder Consulting has signed contracts worth QR98 million with Qatar General Electricity
and Water Corporation, Kahramaa, to design and construct the world’s largest network of clean water reservoirs. These reservoirs constitute will constitute Qatar’s strategic water reserve, enough for a seven day supply compared to existing two-day reserve capacity.
The first phase of the project will see Hyder responsible for the design and construction of 31 reservoirs measuring 200 metres in diameter, 12 metres deep and that can store 73 million imperial gallon each. The project will require 200km of 2m diameter pipelines and five major pumping installations.
The concrete reservoirs will be spread over five kilometre square sites, and will have a combined capacity of 2,200 million imperial gallons; Not
only is the seven day reserve supply the largest in the GCC, each of the reservoirs is twice the size of the largest such structures ever built.
“I think this project is absolutely fundamental to the future of Qatar, at the moment there is some storage ability but not a lot and this project is designed to give a lot of resilience to the system in the same way as in the UK you have natural reservoirs,” said Neil Kemble, managing director MER utilities group, Hyder.
“The scale of this project is huge. It’s about water security and making sure a city with a current population of 1.7 million people at the moment, isn’t suddenly devoid of water,” he added.
By 2036, the massive infrastructure project will be capable of supporting a national population of 3.4 million.
Designs are due to be finalised within months, and tenders issued by Q4 2012. Construction is scheduled for
completion within three years. The project constitutes a significant
component of Kahramaa’s sustainable development commitment towards Qatar National Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 2011-2016.
“We advised and pitched on some strong ideas, which we were encouraged to do, and we put in a winning bid. We did want to extend our presence in Qatar beyond road and rail transport, where we have been very active here, and property,” said Hyder chairman Sir Alan Thomas.
In November last year, Hyder signed the largest contract in the firm’s history when it committed to an interconnected infrastructure network valued at $591 million with the public works authority, Ashghal. Covering all five zones of the Gulf state, that contract, which is also a record breaker for Qatar, will be delivered by 2019.
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Kahramaa awards contracts worth QR4 billion
In addition to the water reservoirs contract, Kahramaa has also awarded several electricity and water projects, all totalling over QR four billion. comprising of QR3.65 billion for Phase 10 of expansion of electricity
transmission networks, QR300 million for water projects and QR64 million for a pilot project on Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). A total of nine contracts were awarded as part of the Phase 10 expansion, two contracts for AMI and two water projects in addition to the water reservoirs contract. These include: Larsen & Toubro – Contracts worth QR1.1 billion to build five HV 11/66/132/220kV substations and install 220 kV XLPE double circuit high voltage cables; Hyosung – QR757 million contract to build eight high voltage 11/66/132/220kV substations; Siemens – QR700 million contract to build 15 high voltage 11/66/132kV substations; Elswedy Cables - Contract worth QR368 million to install 132kV high voltage XLPE cables and 132/220kV high voltage XLPE cables; National Contracting Company - QR320 million contract to install 66kV high voltage XLPE cables and 66/132kV high voltage XLPE cables; LS Cable – QR222 million contract to install 220kV high voltage XLPE cables; Kalpataru - QR67 million contract to install 102 km of high voltage Overhead Lines cables 132kV; Alstom – QR10 million contract to install necessary telecom infrastructure and operations for phase 10; Consultancy contracts for phase 10 to Lahmeyer International (QR57 million); Parsons Brinckerhoff (QR25 million); Mott MacDonald – QR13 million. AMI Projects: Siemens - contracts worth QR64 million for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Pilot Project; Cognyst - QR16 million contract for engineering consultancy services for the project.Water projects: Al Dar Gulf For Trading And Contracting - Contract worth QR115 million to install water distribution networks in Rawdet Al Hamam area. Hamad Bin Khaled For Contracting - Consultancy contract worth QR88 million to install water distribution networks in north Sailiyah and suburbs.
Although Hyder has had active water projects in Qatar for 40 years, this project signals the first clean water project for the firm in the country. However, Hyder has also successfully executed similar clean water projects in Bahrain and Europe. In the case of the reservoir project, Hyder sees more challenges in its scale and economics rather than its scope. For example, whether the tanks will be on the ground or semi-buried could mean huge cost differences. “If we have the tanks completely underground, the hydraulic uplift is potentially huge, so the cost goes up,” explained Kemble. “The above ground option is slightly cheaper but there is also the security angle because if the tank is damaged, probably all the water will be lost; if it’s semi-buried, you’ll only lose some of it. If you’re underground, you won’t lose any but the cost of putting everything in is huge in the first place.” Also, the high temperatures in the region could be a disadvantage or even harnessed depending on the option exercised. “There are potential thermal advantages to keeping the tanks semi-buried given the high temperatures in the region,” said Kemble. “If we put the tanks above ground, we would consider solar panels on the roofs, as there is an opportunity to gain some energy from it.”
To ensure water quality, Hyder has carried out extensive hydraulic modelling on the tanks in various configurations. Apart from constant movement of water at all levels, there will also be sufficient chlorine residual in the water to prevent micro-biological contamination. Energy efficiency too will be addressed.“We have optimised the tanks per site to take maximum advantage because some of these tanks go higher than others. So if we can get as much water as possible at the highest elevation, pumping requirements are reduced,” said Kemble.
Not only is the new Kahramaa project a global record breaker, it also marks a milestone for Hyder as the firm now offers all its services in Qatar.
“This project is an important step and I think this is a very interesting contract because these reservoirs are going to be the biggest in the world and there are a large number of them. It’s a pretty exciting project for the water sector, with some unusual characteristics, not least of all scale, timetable, water supply and security,” said Sir Thomas. Kemble added: “I think that this proves if you put together a good bid you can win work in places like this, with a strong reputation and track record.” (By Melanie Mingas; reporting by Praseeda Nair)
Project stats31 reservoirs 200 metre diameter 12 metres deep5 sites measuring 1km²2,200 million imperial gallons 3.4 million population catered to 7 day supply of clean water 3 year construction timescale
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Hedwig Maes, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Rockwell AutomationHow is Rockwell Automation making inroads into the process automation space?
Our main offering in process automation is PlantPAx, which enables us to go beyond what a typical Distributed Control System (DCS) supplier can
offer. What makes PlantPAx powerful and unique is that it incorporates our Integrated Architecture with PLC platform, which we can build upon to go to a hybrid solution for process applications. We are building our process portfolio around PlantPAx applications for a range of process industries from oil and gas, food, breweries to water/wastewater and pharmaceuticals. Rockwell Automation is also becoming a global market leader in safety applications, in both system and product safety. The growing interest in safety is due to two reasons – first, in Europe and to an extent, even in the Middle East, you have a lot of regulations around safety, and the rest of the world is adapting those regulations. Second, in industries like oil and gas, power and even water, safety standards are becoming more stringent.
What are your plans to grow in the Middle East markets?
Last year, we brought our highly popular Automation University event to the region for the first time in Abu Dhabi. The fact that we hold this event in countries
or regions of strategic importance to us is the first part
of the answer to your question. I also see our growth in terms of establishing greater presence across different countries in the region and increasing our penetration across different industries. Success in both areas will contribute to the growth strategy we have in mind for the next few years. Apart from oil and gas, I see a lot of opportunities for Rockwell Automation in the region’s power sector. We have a strong offering in power control with Medium Voltage drives, Standard drives, lots of good features like integrated Ethernet/IP and Integrated Safety. Other than that, I also see good opportunities in the region’s food and desalination markets.
What I find exciting about this region is its focus on economic diversification and vision for the future. If you look at the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision, for example, its economic targets, its projections of electricity demand, all make for interesting dynamics, where we can benefit and simultaenously, add significant value to make our customers more successful in the changing environment. At the same time, oil and gas remains a very attractive business because there is still a lot of potential waiting to be tapped. With our broader portfolio - safety, advanced process capabilities, applications - we can play in the region in a much stronger way than before.
What is your go-to-market approach?
Different countries in the region have different growth dynamics, so our markets will vary. However, there is a commonality in the way we approach
the market in that we cater to two customer segments – first, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) or machine builders and second, end-users. So we have a combination of direct business –some customers prefer the supplier to do the solution implementation, so we have kept that door open; and a partner business network, which is made up of local distributors or local integrators. The distributors and integrators complement us in our strategy, be it local presence, customer proximity, domain expertise, language, culture. However, getting into the Main Automation Contractor (MAC) environment is something we have left to market dynamics for now.
Do you have a wish list?
When I look at the Middle East, and especially the Gulf countries, I see stable economies, strong industrial growth, all backed by a strong
forward looking vision. At the top of my wish list is continued growth of Rockwell Automation’s stature and market share in the region and recognition as a reliable automation partner. A lot of installations here have our technology in the machines or production plants, which presents us with a great opportunity to build relationships with local companies to service their equipment and become their long-term partners in growth.
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More than onceDr KArl M MillAuer, Senior Vice-PreSident,
AquAtech iS one of the toP executiVeS in the wAter induStry with extenSiVe
exPerience in mAnAgement, StrAtegy And the finAnciAl mArketS. AquAtech iS regArded
AS one of the globAl leAderS in wAter PurificAtion technology for induStriAl And
infrAStructure mArketS with A focuS on deSAlinAtion, wAter reuSe, And zero liquid
diSchArge. dr millAuer SPoke to AnooP k menon on how the comPAny iS driVing the
deVeloPment And APPlicAtion of innoVAtiVe wAter recycle/ reuSe technologieS, eSPeciAlly
in the oil & gAS Sector And how itS thermAl And membrAne deSAlinAtion exPertiSe hAS
been extended into wAter reuSe.
Before we discuss Aquatech’s recycling and reuse solutions, could you elaborate on your desalination capailities?
Aquatech offers both thermal and membrane desalination, which enables us to supply customers the most cost-effective option for their needs. We
can supply plants based on Multi Stage Flash (MSF), Multiple Effect Distillation (MED), Mechanical Vapour Compression (MVC) and Sea Water Reverse Osmosis
(SWRO) technologies. In recent years, we have supplied MED plants to Saudi Aramco for their Rabigh and Ras Tanura refineries and an SWRO plant for the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Recently, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Federal Electricity & Water Authority (FEWA) awarded us the contract to supply a 15 MIGD SWRO desalination plant, which will provide drinking water to the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. We have mostly used SWRO because it is a cheaper technology in terms of capex and opex. Thermal desalination makes sense when you have excess steam from the power plant or excess energy. While it is regarded as more robust than RO, the biggest market share is still with SWRO. Aquatech can also supply hybrid desalination designs that incorporate MED and RO technologies. I believe there are only three or four companies in the world that can do both thermal and RO, and we are one of them. Could you sum up your water recycle and reuse capabilities on the oil and gas front?
Our water recycle and reuse solutions can be used to treat feed sources ranging from industrial wastewater to produced water from oil fields. In the
latter, we can recycle over 90% of the produced water. In downstream, we see tremendous potential for treating refinery wastewater to a standard where it can be used as process water. We can treat refinery wastewater with very efficient technology called HERO (High Efficiency Reverse Osmosis) and in combination with thermal or evaporative processes, achieve a recycling efficiency of 98%. This hybrid approach also results in systems having lower capital costs and lower life cycle costs.
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While awareness of the benefits of water recycling and re-reuse is not lacking among end-user industries, the same is not reflected in terms of actual implementations. Why this mismatch?
The price of water has tremendous bearing on water recycling and re-use. If water is expensive, it is re-used, but if it is cheap or subsidised, there is no
incentive to re-use. To treat wastewater in a way that makes it suitable for discharge into the environment is a question of legislation because industry doesn’t like to invest in wastewater treatment. Thus the extent of wastewater recycling/reuse in industries will be driven by a combination of price and legislation. While low cost solutions can help, the big driver will always be environmental legislation which sets limits on wastewater discharge while incentivising water re-use. Even in the Middle East, we see a trend in environmental legislation of decreasing the limits of what is allowed so that industries have to treat wastewater to certain standards.
The technologies for wastewater recycling and re-use are expensive due to the high level of treatment required, especially in the oil & gas industry. How are these costs covered?
In fact, production of oil and gas requires a lot of water. If not available at site,the companies have to use ground water or produce the water through sea water
desalination and pipe that in. At the end of the day, the issue of recycle/re-use is always a commercial question. If the price of water is high enough, re-use pays off, and the costs can be amortised depending on the price per m3. In the case of wastewater, the same is difficult because wastewater treatment is an additional cost for the company. This can only be solved through legislation or limits set by the government on what and how much the companies are allowed to discharge into the environment. The emphasis should be on efficient recycling and reuse to minimise the water footprint. In refineries, energy can be generated from biogas obtained through wastewater treatment, which can also contribute to reducing the carbon footprint.
Could you comment on the efficiencies you have been able to achieve on the recycling/re-use front?
An important success parameter is the percentage of water which is recycled or re-used. In our Mukhaizna project in Oman, we have achieved 92% water
recycling of the produced water. (The Mukhaizna project is the world’s largest installation for produced water reuse application utilising evaporation technology and it is also
the first major application of MVC technology in the water reuse sector in the Middle East - editor). By combining it with HERO, up to 98% recycling rate can be achieved - efficiency here being the degree of recycling rate. Of course, you have one or two per cent slurry or brine left and getting rid of that is always a cost for industry. We are working to treat the brine to recover the salt so that we can make some product out of it like feedstock for chemical industries, which will reduce the cost for the client. It is very complicated when you have high TDS, high salt content and lots of other things.
Could you also elaborate on Aquatech’s mobile wastewater treatment solutions for the oil and gas industry?
Our MoVap unit is a solution specifically designed for the wastewater treatment needs of oil and gas producers. The first deployments were carried
out for companies operating in the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits in the US. In Pennsylvania alone, there are 50,000 wells where companies are trying to extract the natural gas locked up in the shale formations. Shale gas development is underpinned by horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies that require huge volumes of water. Hence, water availability and wastewater disposal pose huge challenges. MoVap meets industry requirements for a solution that can recycle and reuse flowback and produced waters at the wells, and thus, minimise the amount of fresh water used in the well development process while reducing the volume of wastewater which must be disposed or treated off-site. Also, the water is treated to such a standard that it can be safely discharged into local water bodies, river or sea if not needed, without any environmental impact.
Lastly, could you highlight the broad trends in the water industry?
There are two major trends that I would like to highlight. The top trend is energy efficiency because we have to reduce carbon footprint and CO2
emissions; the other trend is reduction of water footprint through recycling and re-use so that less water is used. Our Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems combine membrane and evaporative processes to achieve zero liquid discharge from the plants, and thus, reduce both water and carbon footprints. It is important that Aquatech is able to offer all kinds of water treatment technologies – chemical, membrane, thermal or biological. When you have all these technologies and combine them with your experience and expertise, you can offer best solutions to the market and to your clients.
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OPWP’s recently released seven-year statement fOr Water and POWer sectOrs
sees majOr neW PrOject activity in bOth sectOrs
taking Off Only during the 2017-2018 PeriOd
Oman
Conservative estimatesearlier this yearm Omani
authOrities have said that Oman’s gdP Will achieve a
grOWth Of seven Per cent in 2011 cOmPared tO six Per cent
in 2010. the state budget fOr 2012 PrOjects Oil revenues at 69% Of the tOtal revenues, at an estimated avg Price Of $75, natural gas revenues at 12%
and nOn-Oil revenues at 19%.
The emphasis is on creating more job opportunities for Omani youth by targeting the non-oil sectors
of the economy. Oman’s central bank expects GDP growth in the six to seven per cent range on the back of strong domestic demand fuelled by large public-spending programme.
The seven-year planPower and water peak demand across the Sultanate of Oman is expected to reach 7,271 MW and exceed 269 million m3 respectively, by 2018, according to the latest Seven Year Statement released by the state-owned offtaker Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP).
The average power demand in the Main Interconnected System (MIS) - which serves the governorates of
Muscat, Buraimi, Al Batinah North & South, Ash Sharqiyah North & South, Ad Dakhiliyah and Ad Dhabiharh - is expected to grow from 2,162 MW in 2011 to 3,669 MW in 2018, an average increase of eight per cent per year. Peak demand is also expected to grow at eight per cent annually, from 3,845 MW in 2011 to 6,582 MW in 2018. The forecast envisages a reduced growth rate compared to the nine per cent average projected in OPWP's 2011-2017 seven year statement due to the global economic slowdown, though the statement also takes into consideration the five-year plan to stimulate economic growth through infrastructure investments. The eight per cent growth rate is consistent with the average growth rate over the period 2000 to 2010. In the low case scenario, average and peak demand growth rate in the medium term has been forecast at six per cent per year. The same for high case scenario is 12% per year over the seven year period.
OPWP’s present portfolio of contracted capacity in the MIS comprises 11 Power (and Water) Purchase Agreements. Of these, three are under-construction power-only plants, namely Sohar II, Barka III and Sur. Both Sohar II and Barka III are scheduled to be commissioned
on a phased basis in 2012 and 2013 respectively for a total addition of 1,490 MW. Phase 1 of Sur plant, to be commissioned by 2013, will add 433 MW and Phase 2 will add a further 1,567 MW in 2014, for a total of 2,000 MW.
To meet generation capacity requirements as projected power demand overtakes contracted capacity, OPWP is currently considering several options including renewable energy. Subject to a final government go-ahead, OPWP is planning to procure, via a competitive process, around 200 MW of solar generation capacity for the MIS to come online by the end of 2015. OPWP is of the opinion that the capacity additions at Sur, Barka III and Sohar II are likely to be sufficient to meet requirements till 2018. The seven year statement puts 2017 as the earliest potential in-service date for the next major instalment of new generation capacity in the MIS after the Sur IPP and the solar project.
With the government planning to promote the development of a major industrial and economic city around the new seaport at Ad Duqm, demand for electricity is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Rural Areas Electricity Company’s (RAEC) projections show peak
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demands increasing to around 75-100 MW by 2018. OPWP is currently performing evaluation of options for the development of a power generation plant at Ad Duqm, with or without an interconnection with the MIS. OPWP is also assisting RAEC with the procurement of a 120 MW IPP in Musandam Governorate (which is not connected to MIS).
Salalah system Under OPWP’s seven year electricity demand projections for the Salalah system, which covers the city of Salalah and surrounding areas in the governorate of Dhofar, the average demand is expected to grow from 228 MW in 2011 to 458 MW in 2018, an average increase of around 10% per year. Similarly, peak demand is expected to grow at an average rate of about 10% per year, from 248 MW in 2011 to 698 MW in 2018. These growth rates are higher than those projected for the MIS due to the high growth rate in bulk (especially industrial) loads. The current forecast projects new industrial demand to develop more slowly, providing a steadier year-to-year growth rate.OPWP is also in discussions to select a new site for Salalah IWPP 2 with 200-400 MW capacity. The tender is expected to be issued this year with a projected commissioning date of 2016. The Salalah generation expansion study has also identified wind energy in the Thamrait area as a potential resource option.
Desalination projectionsOn the water front, peak demand in the Interconnected Zone - comprising the hitherto Ghubrah, Barka and Sohar Zones - during the seven year period is expected to increase at an average rate of around four per cent per year – driven by increasing population, economic development and the build-out of water supply networks, but moderated to some extent by a major effort to reduce network losses. The total contracted desalination capacity under existing PWPAs for 2012 stand
at 549,000 m3/day, rising to 695,000 m3/day in 2013 before declining to 552,000 m3/day in 2018.
OPWP lists the main requirements for new desalination capacity over the 2012-2018 period are as follows:• 307,000 m3/day for the Interconnected Zone from 2017/2018• 5,000 m3/day for the Sur Zone in 2017/2018• 29,000 m3/day for the Ad Duqm Zone by 2018
The Ghubrah Independent Water Plant (IWP) is under tendering by OPWP at a site adjacent to the existing Ghubrah Power and Desalination plant. It will use Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination technology and will be contracted to provide 191,000 m3/day upon commissioning in 2014. Further, Majis Industrial Services (MISC), which provides water utility services for the Sohar Industrial Port area - is developing a desalination plant using RO with a capacity of 20,000 m3/day by end-2012. MISC projects that this plant will meet all of its water demand from 2013-2018. ACWA Power Barka has submitted a proposal to increase the desalination capacity at Barka 1 by 45,000 m3/day to be available from 2013. The addition of Ghubrah IWP and proposed increased capacity at Barka 1 is expected to provide sufficient capacity from 2014 through 2016. OPWP sees new capacity requirement in the Interconnected Zone emerging only in 2017, though the marginal shortfall
of 5,000 m3/day could be met by groundwater suppliers.
OPWP is looking at a combination of contract extension and a new plant to deal with the significant supply shortage from the expiration of contracts at Ghubrah and Barka 1 in 2018. OPWP has started site selection studies, at PAEW’s request, for two new desalination plants serving the Interconnected Zone, to be located at Suwayq and Qurayyat. The Suwayq plant is expected to be in service in 2016 while the Qurayyat plant is expected to become operational in the 2018/2019 time frame. Interestingly, OPWP is also evaluating these sites for both combined water and power plants too, and the same is being given a thought for proposed Ad Duqm power plant. But additional desalination capacity projected prior to 2016 will be met on a water-only basis. For the Sur Zone, additional desalination capacity will be required in the 2017/2018 time frame. For the Ad Duqm Zone, PAEW has asked RAEC to develop a 10,000 m3/day desalination plant to meet expected demand growth to 2014, with plans for additional capacity under consideration.
In Salalah, water demand is projected to grow at six per cent, and peak water demand is expected to increase from 62,000 m3/day to 95,000 m3/day by 2018. The Salalah IWPP will provide 68,190 m3/day on commissioning in 2012. An additional desalination plant is expected to be procured for a 2016 in-service date.
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Professor Mark van Loosdrecht from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands, was awarded the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2012 for
his breakthrough contributions towards the development of sustainable wastewater treatment solutions. Van Loosdrecht, who is the fifth recipient of this prize, was selected from 61 nominations received from over 25 countries. The prize recognises his pioneering efforts towards the development of an innovative biological process - Anammox, which provides a cost-effective, robust and sustainable method to remove unwanted pollutants from wastewater, while reducing overall energy consumption, chemical usage and carbon emissions associated with conventional wastewater treatment.
At the core of Anammox is a unique group of autotrophic bacteria, first discovered in the 1990s by researchers from TU Delft led by Professor Kuenen. These bacteria possess a set of enzymes which enable them to convert ammonia to harmless nitrogen gas for discharge into the environment without the use of oxygen or other additives. The traditional nitrogen removal process, known as nitrification/denitrification is short circuited by bypassing the intermediate nitrate stage, resulting in reduced energy consumption in wastewater treatment. In fact, a significant amount of energy is expended to maintain the aerobic conditions for nitrification to take place. As per various estimates, nearly 50% of the energy consumed in a conventional wastewater treatment plant could be linked to aerobic processes, followed by sludge treatment (30%) and pumps (15%).
In most industrialised countries, traditional wastewater treatment accounts for nearly one to three per cent of the total energy budget; moreover, part of this energy may also be considered as ‘wasted’ as the end product is discharged back into the environment. Anammox promises to reduce
aeration energy needs by up to 60% and CO2 emissions by up to 90%, while occupying up to 50% less space compared to the traditional nitrogen removal process.
Tan Gee Paw, Chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Nominating Committee said: “Professor van Loosdrecht’s technology is set to create a paradigm shift in the used water treatment industry. The adoption of such energy-saving technology is essential for used water treatment plants seeking complete energy self-sufficiency and will be the future for the used water treatment industry. For that, the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize celebrates Prof van Loosdrecht’s outstanding achievement in the development of Anammox and honours his relentless pursuit for highly sustainable technologies that are critical for the future sustainability of urbanised cities.”
As of January 2012, there are 16 referenced full-scale Anammox plants implemented by Paques (the licensee for the technology) and more than 30 full-scale variant plants in operation around the world, including Austria, China, Japan and the US. Singapore is currently conducting a pilot trial of the process at its water reclamation plant.
The full potential of the Anammox technology can be realised when it is applied to mainstream wastewater treatment. If successful, it could generate aeration energy savings of up to 60% for the whole plant while most of the organic carbon content of the influent can be used to produce methane gas for energy recovery. The current challenges for the process are stability of operations and maintaining good effluent quality. With several laboratory and pilot testing of mainstream Anammox underway, Van Loosdrecht expects the first full scale mainstream reactor to be ready in two to four years time.
By Anoop K Menon
Dutch environmental biotechnologist wins Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2012
Salicornia bigeloviiPhoto courtesy: The Georgia CoastalEcosystems Long Term Ecological Research (GCE-LTER) Photo by: Steve Pennings, 2007
Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht. Photo courtesy: TU Delft, Netherlands
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Researchers at the Masdar Institute (MI) along with several other companies like Boeing, Etihad Airways and UOP Honeywell are evaluating the potential of
growing Salicornia with sea water for use as a biofuel and maintenance of CO2 equilibrium. A halophyte that grows in salty waters, the seeds of Salicornia could be an abundant source of biofuel. Given International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture’s (ICBA) rich experience in the evaluation of genetic material and optimising different types of production systems, MI has agreed on a collaboration to evaluate the potential of growing Salicornia in the UAE at sea water salinities, in addition to testing different agronomic characteristics.
Preliminary trials are being conducted by ICBA followed by field trials on the coastline of Abu Dhabi. In 2010, ICBA surveyed and rejected one of the islands as a potential trial
site. Although Salicornia can be productive at sea water strength, it is always preferable for it to be located at a coastal site where the soil is sandy, thus ensuring free drainage to maintain a salinity balance between the soil and the sea water. High contents of oil (30%) and lower concentration of salt (less than three per cent) in its seeds make Salicornia bigelovii a most promising oilseed halophyte crop for the future, point out Mohammad Shahid and N K Rao from Plant Genetic Resources Unit, ICBA in Biosalinity News May 2011. According to one estimate, one hectare of salicornia can produce 225-250 gallons of bio-diesel. After the extraction of oil, its meal that has high protein contents (42-45%) can be used as live stock or fish feed.
Source: Biosalinity News May 2011; ICBA Annual Report 2010
Producing bio-fuels with sea water and halophytes
A joint research project between the University of Southampton and lithium battery technology company REAPsystems has found that a new type of battery
has the potential to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar power.
The research project, sponsored by REAPsystems, was led by MSc Sustainable Energy Technologies student, Yue Wu and his supervisors Dr Carlos Ponce de Leon, Professor Tom Markvart and Dr John Low (currently working at the University’s Research Institute for Industry, RIfI). The study looked specifically into the use of lithium batteries as an energy storage device in photovoltaic (PV) systems.
Yue Wu said: “Lead acid batteries are traditionally the energy storage device used for most PV systems. However, as an energy storage device, lithium batteries, especially the LiFePO4 batteries we used, have more favourable characteristics.”
Data was collected by connecting a lithium iron phosphate battery to a PV system attached to one of the University’s buildings, using a specifically designed battery management system supplied by REAPsystems.
Yue continued: “The research showed that the lithium battery has an energy efficiency of 95% whereas the lead-acid batteries commonly used today only have around 80%. The weight of the lithium batteries is lower and they have a longer life span than the lead-acid batteries reaching up to 1,600 charge/discharge cycles, meaning they would need to be replaced less frequently.”
Although the battery will require further testing before being put into commercial PV systems, the research has shown that the LiFePO4 battery has the potential to improve the efficiency of solar power systems and help to reduce the costs of both their installation and upkeep. Dr Carlos Ponce de Leon and Dr John Low now plan to take this project further with a new cohort of Masters students.
Dr Dennis Doerffel, founder of REAPsystems and former researcher at the University of Southampton, said: "For all kinds of energy source (renewable or non-renewable), the energy storage device - such as a battery - plays an important role in determining the energy utilisation. Compared with traditional lead acid batteries, LiFePO4 batteries are more efficient, have a longer lifetime, are lighter and cost less per unit. We can see the potential of this battery being used widely in photovoltaic application, and other renewable energy systems.”
New battery could lead to cheaper, more efficient solar energy
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industrialvalves
Frost & sullivAn estimates the industrial valves market in the middle east to grow at a Cagr of
around seven per Cent over the next five to six years.
Moderate growth
The Middle East market for instrumentation valves (that is, not including manual valves) was
estimated to be around $1.3 billion, in 2011. The Saudi Arabian market is the largest in terms of volume and value, followed by Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One of the most anticipated growth markets is Iraq, with a large number of Greenfield projects, Brownfield expansions, and plant upgrades across various industries in the project pipeline. However, uncertainty in security and the politico-economic stability will be crucial factors determining the progress of the Iraqi market.
In terms of value, the instrumentation on-off valves segment, consisting of multi-turn and quarter-turn valves, annually accounts for nearly 60% of the annual Middle East demand revenues, with Ball valves seeing the largest and fastest-growing demand by value. The control valves segment, although of significantly lower volume, comprises primarily of the demand for globe valves, which has widespread and proven application across industries.
In terms of demand for valves, the oil and gas industry, comprising exploration and production, upstream processing, transportation (pipelines), and downstream oil refining, LNG production, and fractionation, annually accounts for around 65% of the annual Middle East market demand for instrumentation valves. Given the current predominance of this industry in its contribution to the Middle East economy, its share is only expected to reduce marginally in the long term. This reduction in percentage share would be due to increased demand from the petrochemicals and utilities sectors.
Furthermore, the recently-completed oil and gas Greenfield projects and plant expansions over the past five years in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, will see a smaller future share of the oil and gas demand for valves from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
The after sales routeThe valves market continues to be largely import-driven, with only a few companies capable of the complete
manufacture of the valve (although, valve actuators are only imported). The limited number of certified sources of castings in the Middle East is a major restraint, with many of the castings sold in the Middle East being sourced from Italy. However, in the current scenario, majority of the companies import valves (or valve components) into the market, which creates a level playing field. But, with the state-driven impetus for localisation of activities, typically incentivised by preferential procurement by the state-owned end-user companies, there is a gradual move towards adopting varying degrees of local manufacture or assembly.
Amongst the diverse challenges faced by the valve suppliers in the market, reducing profit margins due to growing competition, politico-economic instability in certain Middle Eastern countries (which complicates localisation of operations in those regions) and the stringent quality/audit requirements are the major impediments to the growth.
Price continues to be the most significant commercial factor in the highly-competitive market, with over 35 active players in the industrial valves market. Small and growing companies are cost-competitive while addressing demand from the end user for smaller orders. However, this does not hold good with Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors, as an international rapport with EPC contractors is more important.
The increasing acceptance of products from low-cost manufacturing regions, such as India, sourced from Indian manufacturing bases of global suppliers or directly from Indian manufacturers, is expected to be a game changer. The rapid penetration of the valves market by Indian manufacturer, Virgo Engineers, is a case in point.
Delivery used to be a significant factor prior to the downturn, as companies were utilising most of their production capacity. However, due to the slump in the global markets (notably Europe), delivery time continues to be a
oil and gas is the biggest market for industrial valves in the middle east
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less significant commercial factor.Apart from the Greenfield and
Brownfield projects demand, revenue from services/repairs, spares, retrofit and replacement is growing into a significant contributor to the overall industrial valves market, across the Middle East. Although valve suppliers ideally need to be able to provide support to the customer, in order to be accepted in the market, there has hitherto been a lower focus on this segment. Certain companies with large installed bases, such as Emerson Process Management and Dresser (now, acquired by GE), have a regular stream of revenues from after-sales demand. On the other hand, smaller companies trying to crack the Middle East market are using the avenue of replacing competitor products at a lower cost to the customer. This allows them to gradually establish a rapport in the market and gain a base within the Middle East.
Cost less of a factorSafety is a primary concern with all the end users in this region. And although EPC contractors try to minimise costs by preferring low-cost alternatives, most tender specifications are uncompromising on the minimum level of safety requirements, depending on the Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) or Safety Integrity Level (SIL)-based requirements. Provided that the minimum technical and safety requirements have been met, cost becomes very significant in choosing the valve supplier. Therefore, the higher the level of technical requirements, the smaller is the consequent list of competing players, which makes cost less of a factor.
Another offshoot of the gaining complexity of processes, in terms of operation and safety requirements, is the increasing demand for customised valves from the suppliers. This bodes well for certain suppliers, as end users get the most optimised product for their requirements, while the suppliers catering to technology-intensive and more expensive valves are able to
thrive in an otherwise increasingly cost-competitive market.
In terms of technology adoption, Middle East end users tend to rely only on tried-and-tested standards/technologies (Saudi Aramco is an exception) used in developed and industrialised economies such as the US and Europe. This approach creates a lag in the adoption of better or more suitable technologies, due the technology’s lack of a proven track record. However, despite this cautious approach, product changes occasionally take place often due to cost reasons and the persistent marketing efforts of suppliers. Some of these changes include the growth in demand for Triple-offset butterfly valves for certain applications hitherto restricted to Ball valves, the near-uniform requirement for partial stroke testing for Emergency Shut Down (ESD) valves, and reduced preference for certain wafer-type designs of butterfly valves.
Furthermore, there is a greater role to be played by valve instrumentation suppliers, which can be attributed to the growing complexity of the process, and hence complexity of integration of the instrumentation valve (into plant automation systems). Being producers of a mechanical product, valve manufacturing companies often prefer to tie-up with valve automation (system integrators or actuator/positioner suppliers) companies for the necessary instrumentation integration.
Consolidation trendIn the Middle East valves market, the on-off valves segment is witnessing a high degree of competition. However, within the control valves segment, the more critical product segments witness limited competition. The Middle East valves market is largely catered to by the global majors such as Emerson Process Management, Dresser, Tyco Flow Control, Cameron, and Flowserve, among others. Additionally, companies from Italy, such as Pibiviesse (Circor International) and Valvitalia, have gained a significant foothold within this market.
In the past few years, billions of dollars’ worth of Middle East projects
has been awarded to Korean EPC contractors across various sectors, a substantial share of which is in the GCC region. These developments indicate a positive change in favour of Korean valve companies that have been trying to enter this market, with limited success. Korean EPCs are, therefore, attempting to introduce and fast-track the introduction of Korean pump companies into the Approved Vendor Lists (AVLs) of end users. Although contractors continue to face resistance to these efforts, there have been a few instances of success in the power and water industry.
Market consolidation, which is a typical trend within the global valves industry, is also seen in this region. At a global level, large, diversified industrial product companies, such as Emerson Process Management have acquired niche valve companies or actuator companies, in order to enhance their existing valve portfolio or to control another aspect of the value chain. Within the Middle East, in 2011, Tyco Flow Control completed the acquisition of a 75% stake in the UAE-based KEF Holdings, which manufactures valves in a fully integrated (including casting facility) manufacturing facility in Sharjah. This has enabled Tyco Flow Control to establish a valve manufacturing base within the region, thereby clearly signalling its long-term commitment to this market. Given that most valve companies in the Middle East exist as sales offices or through various distributors, such a statement is always looked upon favourably by the end users.Frost & Sullivan estimates a CAGR of around seven per cent over the next five to six years, indicating a moderately optimistic future outlook for the industrial valves market in the Middle East. In the long term, Iraq and Qatar are expected to play a key role in the growth story of the Middle East valves market.
(Courtesy: Industrial Automation and Process Control Practice, Frost & Sullivan. (For feedback/enquiries contact [email protected])
smAller compAnies trying to crAck the middle eAst mArket Are using the Avenue of replAcing competitor products At A lower cost to the customer.
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WETEX2012
The 14th edition of Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), held from March 13 -15, 2012 at the Dubai International Exhibition
and Convention Centre, broke all previous records in terms of number of exhibitors, space and activities. The 14th edition hosted over 30 high-profile sponsors and 1,055 exhibitors from 32 countries taking up a combined floor space of 33,000 square metres and.
The event was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), accompanied by H.E. Matar Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of DEWA, and H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and MD and CEO of DEWA.
Key highlights this year included a new section focussing on the oil and gas technology markets – Fossil Fuels, and SmarTech@WETEX, which was organised for the second year in a row in accordance with the national, long-term initiative announced by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to build a green economy in the UAE under the theme ‘Green Economy for Sustainable Development.’ Visitors to the SmarTech zone were able to participate in eco-friendly competitions to win the latest energy-saving home appliances from LG Electronics.
The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy's (DSCE) booth displayed a model of the 1,000 MW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which was launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in
January this year. DSCE also made a presentation on the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 at the technical seminars, held over the three days of the event. The seminars, which saw a exceptionally large turnout, was professionally hosted by local communications expert Jonathan Howell-Jones.
Leading trade associations like German Water Partnership, WEFTEC-USA, IFAT Messe, KEPCO and KOAMI–Korea extended their support to WETEX 2012. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), which has been supporting WETEX since 2007, brought over 15 UK companies to exhibit this year, the largest ever UK presence at the event. Key members of the UK group, led by trade association British Water, were Technical Absorbents (TAL) which showcased a number of existing and new development products, including its SAF-based water blocking membrane fabric technology; Global Flood Defence Systems which exhibited their passive defence solutions against floods, Bolton College, which has been working with utility and educational stakeholders in Abu Dhabi to develop training programmes and Balmoral Tanks, which presented their glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and steel sectional tanks, as well as the range of cylindrical steel tanks. Recently, Balmoral achieved full Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) approval for its diverse range of fire protection sprinkler water storage tanks.
Gabriela Thanner, Founder of Crystal Water, a leading international provider of advanced water use solutions, and developer of global Light-Photon-Technology, spoke on behalf of the Germany Water Partnership on the third
The biggest WETEX everRenewable eneRgy and fossil fuel sectoRs
shine in 2012; national oil and gas companies paRticipate foR the fiRst time
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Celebrating the oustanding achievements of the MENA Water Sector
23rd November 2012
The third edition of the H2O Water Awards will be presented to outstanding nominations in the following categories:
Project Category• Best Water Project• Best Wastewater Project• Innovative Use/Application of Technology• Water Efficieny Leader• Water Communications & Marketing
Product Category• Best Water Product• Best Wastewater product• Water-Efficient Product if the Year• Most Innovative Product/Technology of the Year (Industrial & Commercial)
To submit your nominations, please visit www.h2ome.net/awards
For sponsorship enquiries, contact:Vedran Dedic (Group Sales Director)Tel: +971 4 375 6834Mobile: +971 55 8644831Email: [email protected]
For other enquiries, contact:Anoop Menon (Editor)Tel: +971 4 375 6830Mobile: +971 50 2816075Email: [email protected]
H2Owaterawards2012_v2.pdf 1 4/5/12 6:34 PM
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day of the WETEX seminar. In the Fossil Fuels section, Shell showcased its
achievements in developing environmentally friendly lubricants and commercial fuels that save on energy, engine life, and cost. These included the Shell Mysella XL high-performance gas-engine oil and Shell Diesel Extra, an innovative transport fuel that is designed to help customers get more kilometres per tank by helping engines perform in peak condition and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. District cooling major Empower displayed a model of its 60,000 refrigeration tonnes district cooling plant at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), one of the biggest projects in Dubai. GE highlighted its advanced power generation solutions including FlexEfficiency technology, Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) and Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) applications and an innovative filter house technology, which is specifically designed to eliminate gas turbine shut downs for offline axial compressor water washes. On the renewable energy arena, GE showcased its thin film solar panels, which the company claims to have the highest independently- measured and reported efficiency in the industry.
Representatives of EmiratesGBC, an organisation that promotes and educates on green issues in the built environment, were present at their dedicated stand to draw the attention of different stakeholders towards
sustainability in line with the UAE’s green vision. Strategic sponsor Borouge exhibited its differentiated range of polyolefin (polyethylene and polypropylene) innovative solutions including lightweight plastics that are used as insulation for wires, cables and plastic pipes while Bee’ah, which provides integrated environmental and waste management services, chose to inaugurate its Dubai operations at WETEX.
Dubai Municipality highlighted its latest projects to save energy, water and environment, such as green buildings, creek cleaning, advanced irrigation, and air quality monitoring system. Dubai creek cleaning project, undertaken by the Environmental Emergency Office of Environment Department, aims to remove the polluted soil and organic wastes from the creek bed. A total of 980 tonnes of contaminated soil and waste from the upper layer of creek bottom were taken out during the first and second stages of cleaning operations. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. The environmental studies and planning section displayed the air quality monitoring system of Dubai city.
WETEX 2012 was held under the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and was organised by DEWA under the umbrella of the DSCE. Next year’s WETEX will be held simultaneously with Dubai Global Energy Forum (DGEF) 2013.
Model of GE Flex-efficiency50 combinedcycle power plant
Empower stand - model
of DIFC districtcooling plant
Shell and GE stands at WETEX 2012
Solar water heaters at Dubai Municipality stand
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In the Middle East, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region has always been a magnet for anyone who had anything to do with power and water sectors. The
region’s oil wealth, massive infrastructure outlays, growing urbanisation and aggressive economic diversification continues to ensure that it remains the hotbed of project activity in the Arab world. According to the World Energy Council, the GCC will require 100 GW of additional power over the next 10 years to meet growing demand. The power sector will require $50 billion worth of investments while the water sector will need $20 billion investment in desalination alone.
However, there is a good amount of power and water project activity outside the Gulf region too; For example, market research specialist Ventures Middle East reports that Jordan has nine projects predominantly in the water sector worth $6.1 billion set to begin construction in 2012, while Morocco looks to make the most of its natural abundance of wind resources, earmarking $3.8 billion worth of renewable energy projects over the next two years. Then there is Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt. This story focuses on the aforementioned three for a simple reason – in the past two months, the writer had multiple opportunities to review the developments in the power, water and social sectors in these countries, which provided the incentive to move away from the much trodden GCC path for once.
In the case of Iraq, the political and security issues notwithstanding, there seems to be a revival of ambitions towards the full development of the oil sector, and this in turn, is having a linkage effect on other sectors including power and water. In Lebanon, both power and water sectors have been starved of meaningful investment since 1998.
But in what could be interpreted as a sign of changing times, after much political wrangling, the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) has issued tenders for the expansion and rehabilitation/modernisation of power plants at Zouk, Jieh and Deir al-Ammar (See our Tenders & Projects section). On the water front, the pre-qualification for Awali-Beirut water supply project evoked widespread response with even Chinese contractors showing strong interest. In the case of Egypt, the peaceful conclusion of Parliamentary elections, the ending of emergency and the scheduling of Presidential elections have triggered a positive feedback even as the country’s fundamental attractions in terms of a diverse economy, a large population and a 26 million labour pool, largest in the Middle East, remain in place.
Lebanon: Bridging the shortfallsLebanon is a classic study in contrast; blessed with adequate if not abundant water resources, yet most parts of the country suffer from acute scarcity of drinking water. AQUASTAT, FAO's global information system on water and agriculture points out that while Lebanon “is in a relatively
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coverstoryfavourable position as far as rainfall and water resources are concerned, constraints for development consist in the limited availability of water during the seven dry summer months due to the very low water storage capacity, the difficulty of capturing the water close to the sea, and the shortcomings of the existing water delivery systems and networks.” These shortcomings mean that Lebanon’s rapidly growing capital city of Beirut too suffers from water shortages.
The potable water demand in Beirut, a city of 2.2 million people, was estimated at 780,000 m3/day in 2010, with deficits of 368,000 m3/day during the driest month in October, resulting in intermittent water supply for city residents and businesses. Yacoub Petro, Project Manager, MWH, said: “The current major water supply source for Beirut is from Dbayeh drinking water treatment plant in the north, which provides 250,000m3/day during the wet season, declining to approximately 140,000 m3/day in the dry season. Some other minor sources provide another approximately 100,000 m3/day, though Beirut’s actual requirement is 780,000 m3/day.” A study which was conducted in 2005 predicts that by 2030 Beirut’s population will reach to 3.5 million, and the water demand is expected grow proportionally.
In February this year, the World Bank and the Lebanese government formally signed a $200 million loan agreement to provide part of the funding to the $370 million Greater Beirut Water Supply Project (GBWSP), which aims to overcome Beirut’s water shortage issues by providing potable water from the Litani and Awali rivers to the residents of the Greater Beirut area and the densely populated suburbs of Southern Beirut. The World Bank's Board of Directors had approved the loan in December 2010, while the Lebanese Cabinet approved it in October 2011. The project will build the infrastructure required for the intake, treatment, and the conveyance of an additional 260,000 m3/day in the first phase and as much as double this figure in the future.
In April 2010, MWH was selected to update the feasibility study for the $350 million first phase of the Awali-Beirut water supply project – which was originally conducted in 1994, and constitutes the “artery” of GBWSP. Lebanon’s Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR)
engaged MWH to updatethe study and prepare project cost estimates based on comparisons and viable options of routing the water – either through a gravity tunnel from the Awali River to the Beirut or by a trenched coastline pipeline. The essential components of the project are:• Abstraction of water from Awali River to a proposed 260,000 m3/day water treatment plant at Ouardaniye by four kilometres long, 2,800-mm diameter tunnel• Treatment to accepted potable water standards works at the Ouardaniye proposed water treatment works. The land for the treatment plant, which has been proposed as Design-Build-Operate (DBO) project, has already been acquired. • Transmission of treated water from Ouardaniye to the Khalde Distribution Chamber (KDC) by a 20-km long, 2,800-mm diameter, concrete lined tunnel• Transmission of treated water from Khalde Distribution Chamber to number of new reservoirs located in South Beirut by transmission pipelines with total length of 14 kilometres, including diameters of between 1,000-mm to 1,400-mm.
The Awali-Beirut scheme has been divided into three contract packages. Package one covers 2,800-mm internal diameter x 24 kilometres of water tunnels and a pipeline to KDC. Package two covers the first phase of the 260 MLD Ouardaniye water treatment plant and Package 3 covers part of the water pipelines and the construction of all the proposed service reservoirs. “We have received plenty of expressions of interest from all over the world including the UAE to the invitation for pre-qualification for Package 1,” said Petro.
Additionally, MWH is also designing main reservoirs at three locations and their interconnecting pipelines that will store the water from Khalde. “We are designing two reservoirs in Hadath and one in Hazmieh with capacities of 50,000 m3/day, 35,000 m3/day and 20,000 m3/day respectively,” said Petro. “A twin Pipeline from Khalde will take the water to these reservoirs that will be interconnected. The proposed three reservoirs will feed various catchments in Beirut including Tallet El-Khayat reservoir, the biggest of the existing three main reservoirs for Beirut, the other two being Burj Abou Haidar and Ashrafiya.” MWH has proposed to use traditional concrete designs, and the design suggests using compartments for the Hadath and Hazmieh reservoirs. “Such a design will greatly minimise any chance of flooding or water damage to nearby properties in the unfortunate case of war, terrorism or natural disasters, and it will further facilitate the repair and the usual maintenance works when carried out without interrupting the service,” said Petro. The designs for the reservoirs as well as the tunnels have factored in the fact that Lebanon is a seismically active zone. In Lebanon, the Peak Ground Acceleration could be as high as 4 m/s2 with a 10% chance that it can occur within 50 years. While MWH is involved with main artery of the GBWSP, Petro
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points out that there are several projects that form part of the GBWSP and in different stages of progress. “The planned Bisri Dam (one million m3) is expected to provide more water to GBWSP as and when its construction is finalised,” said Petro. “There are future opportunities in dams, water distribution networks, drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and even hydroelectric projects.”
The story of Lebanon’s power sector isn't different from the water sector – years of neglect and demand outstripping supply. Lebanon’s electricity demand is growing at the rate of four to five per cent annually; consumption is in the range of 2,500 MW but supply stands at 1,500 MW. After much political wrangling, the government managed to push through tenders that will add 700 MW in new capacity over a three year period by upgrading/modernising of existing Zouk and Jieh power plants and expanding the Deir al-Ammar power plant. Other solutions being discussed to bridge the shortfall in the short term include importing power from Iran and leasing power-generating ships. There is also an acknowledgement of the need for upgrading the aging transmission and distribution infrastructure. At the policy level, tariff reforms and privatisation of the power sector are being discussed.
Iraq: Mixed messagesIraq holds the fourth-largest reserves of crude oil of any nation in the world, and many projects are planned for the near future around oil and gas development, including new gas-processing plants, oil refineries, power plants, and reconstruction/modernisation of existing facilities. However, nine years after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq still suffers from a severe shortage of electricity. The authorities are hoping to ramp up power production to 20,000 MW before the end of 2013 against the expected demand of about 15,000 MW. With the country suffering from great difficulties because of power shortages last summer, the government is focussing on new construction of gas turbine power plants that will deploy the 56 turbines bought from GE and 16 from Siemens in 2008. In January this year, the Ministry of Electricity signed a $235 million contract with Turkish company Enka to install four 125 MW GE turbines in Basra. South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries is also building a 1,500 MW power plant in Basra using Siemens’ turbines. At the same time, Baghdad is also focussing on rehabilitating/modernising existing power plants as well as the transmission and distribution networks
Recently, Japan’s JGC Corporation was awarded a contract for a project to renovate cooling water facilities at a thermal power plant in Nassiriyah in southern Iraq. This project, which will replace aging, deteriorating cooling systems at the power plant, is central to increasing power generation capacity in Nassiriyah in tandem with the development of new oil and gas fields in Iraq's southern region. Last month, ABB won a $60 million contract from Shell Gas Iraq to build a new power plant in southern Iraq.
The 50 MW Khor Al Zubair project will provide the Basrah Gas Company with the electricity it needs to successfully power its production process. To strengthen transmission and distribution (T&D), the Ministry is also investing in building 100 substations over the next three years and constructing 10 to 20 power transmission substations with associated cabling each year. The Ministry has projected a demand of 10,000 new transformers every year on average to replace defective ones. In February, South Korea’s LSIS won contracts for building 35 additional substations after having won contracts to build 35 substations in the first phase. In March, ABB bagged a contract for its state-of-the-art power distribution management system from the MOE to strengthen Baghdad’s grid.
Iraq is also investing in its water sector with the Ministry of Public Works, Municipalities and Local governorates awarding projects for potable water treatment and supply, wastewater treatment and construction of dams. The rapid growth of the oil and gas sector is driving up water demand in the municipal and also industrial sectors, mainly power and also oil and gas as water injection is crucial to boosting production potential in oil fields. Last September, GE Oil & Gas bagged a $40 million contract from BP Iraq-NV to supply equipment for produced water re-injection operations that will help increase production in the Rumaila oil field of southern Iraq. Though Iraqi authorities had entered into contract with global oil majors, led by Exxon Mobil, for a multi-billion-dollar water injection scheme to develop Iraq's oil fields in the south last year, recently Exxon was stripped of its role as project leader following a controversial exploration deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Opportunities apart, operating in the Iraq’s water sector has its challenges too. Like other infrastructure projects, security remains a major issue. “The other challenge is the attack by ‘intruders’ to the industry,” observes Moustafa Hasan, General Manager of Metito for Jordan, Iraq and Syria. “These are contractors who have little or no experience at all who take poorly calculated risks and margins, which lend them in problems when these projects kick off. It is however evident that strategic planning by authorities is at full force and that important projects are being commissioned and progressing at good speed.”
The cumulative value of contracts being executed by Metito in Iraq to date is over $250 million across 50 plus
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projects in surface water treatment, wastewater treatment, water treatment plants for power plants and industrial wastewater treatment. This includes recent award of a contract worth $9 million to upgrade the main Freeha Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in the holy city of Karbala to 60,000 m3/day in partnership with Iraqi group Balad Al Khebra. Hasan feels that Iraq can further develop its water sector by involving overseas consultants during design stage to further integrate the local know how for world class quality deliverables, carry out stricter prequalification procedures for contractors prior to bidding to ensure only professional companies backed by a strong portfolio of local and regional projects qualify, evaluate bids based on technicalities more than price to ensure sustainable solutions and lastly, improve payment procedure methods.
Egypt: Settling downThe uprising last year and the resultant turmoil had resulted in a slowdown of the project market in Egypt, including the power and water sectors. But in what seems to be a gradual revival of sorts, last month, the Ministry of Electricity inked three agreements worth EGP four billion to finance power projects. These include the Banha Power Plant, Suez Power Generation Project and North Giza Electricity Project. All three projects form part of a five year plan (2012 to 2017) to meet Egypt’s growing electricity needs at a total projected investment of EGP120 billion. More recently, the Wajeh Al Kebly Power Generation Company launched an Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC) tender for the 1,950 MW South Helwan Power Plant Project. The project, funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, has also seen the World Bank chipping in with $340 million.
The Ministry of Electricity has set an ambitious target of increasing the country’s power production capacity to 58,000 MW by 2030 through a mix of gas, solar, wind and nuclear energy resources. Tim Armsby, Partner, Eversheds pointed out that the power sector in Egypt enjoyed a strong track record of private sector participation having successfully tendered three independent power projects in the late 1990s. However, the devaluation of EGP in the early 2000s made IPPs an expensive proposition with the result that subsequent power projects are being implemented on EPC basis with the use of soft loans and donor funds. Prior to the uprising, the government had indicated that the five year power generation plan will also include three IPP projects - Dairut, Aiaat and Safaga. However, the government today seems to have little appetite to move ahead with these IPPs. While Dairut has been postponed, Safaga has reportedly been cancelled and there has been no update on Ayyat so far. Ongoing power projects in the EPC mode include 1,300 MW Abu Qir Power Plant Project, the 32 MW Assiut Hydro Power Plant, the 1,300 MW Ain Sokhna Power Plant Project and the 1,500 MW Giza North Power Plant Project. On the renewable energy front, the
Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company is expected to announce an RFP for the 250 MW Gulf of Suez Wind Farm Project concession soon. The New & Renewable Energy Authority Egypt is also expected to award the technical feasibility study contract for Phase 1 of a 200 MW Wind Farm project in the Gulf of Suez in April.
Despite Egypt's near-complete reliance on the Nile, its water
sector is characterised by a weak regulatory framework, low efficiency in water use, very high leakages (estimated at more than 50% on average) and poor average quality of the water itself. According to a government report, in 2011, Egypt wasted 21% of its drinking water production. The sector requires enormous investments over the coming decades to cope with challenges of rapidly growing population (expected to touch 95 million by 2015) increasing food production and expanding industrial sector. To better manage its water resources, Egypt has been put significant emphasis on wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse. But as things stand today, of the four Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in the wastewater sector, only the New Cairo Wastewater Plant achieved financial closure with the remaining three yet to be revived. Post-revolution, the only major PPP development in wastewater has been the launch of transaction advisory services tender for Helwan Wastewater Treatment Project. In fact, the water sector too seems to be headed the EPC route relying on donors or soft funds. For example, the African Development Bank is a significant stakeholder in the 500,000 m3/day Gabal El Asfar Wastewater Treatment Plant (Stage II Phase II) Project.
According to Business Monitor International (BMI), a concerted policy to prioritise major infrastructure projects, of which water will form a core component, can be expected only in the second quarter of 2012. Due to the poor progress in the centrepiece wastewater projects, BMI has forecasted water production at a slightly lower 7,494 million gallons in 2015 compared to an earlier forecast of 7,520 million gallons made in Q4 2011. “Everyone is hopeful that the Egypt will settle down. Internally, they are trying to keep things moving but there is an acceptance at the moment given the uncertainly with regard to policy, developers are reluctant to incur the costs of bidding; even if you find bidders and banks, you will be paying a premium to bring that project on-stream,” said Armsby.
EGYPT has sET an ambiTious TarGET of incrEasinG iTs PowEr ProducTion caPaciTY To 58,000 mw bY 2030
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AndreAs ThomAs on why fixed speed
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Fixed advantagefixed-speed drives – i.e. drive solutions in which three-
phase motors are operated with mains voltage at mains frequency – are frequently considered potential
replacement candidates when it comes to energy efficiency measures. at first sight, this stance is justified in some ways. however, often only the symptoms instead of the cause are
tackled in this context. nevertheless, the total cost view represents the ultimate factor to be considered.
A wide-spread argument is as follows: A fan operated with constant speed, for example
switched via a contactor works against a throttle valve controlling the partial load demand with full power. Recommended countermeasure: Removal of the throttle valve and application of a frequency converter.
This opens up high saving potentials. As a result, the frequency converter is often regarded as the best general solution for increased energy efficiency. Undoubtedly, the frequency converter offers decisive advantages thanks to its flexible load adjustment options, particularly with applications subject to variable load requirements, frequent operations and energy recovery. In many cases however, there are more simple and more efficient solutions.
Accurate application analysisFirst of all, the application has to be accurately analysed before deciding on the drive system to be employed. The optimum solution can only be determined with precise knowledge of the processes’ load behaviour.
In particular, partial load operation of the motor below 40% of the nominal load has to be avoided. From a load range of 50-60%, optimum efficiency is attained with direct mains operation. If, for example in a container filling application, no special requirements are placed upon the hysteresis, the task can be easily implemented using a two-point controller with fixed-speed drives in a technically simple, yet very efficient manner. If a fault-tolerant solution is required with varying demand in a water supply system, a cascade with one frequency converter and one or several downstream fixed-
speed drives, for example with soft starters, should be preferred over a large speed-controlled pump (Fig. 1). While the frequency converter serves the variable, controlled demand, the soft starters take care of the base load demand (Fig. 2). In many cases, the frequency converter’s intelligence already covers the function of the control unit, as is the case with a Sinamics G120P [1]. Considerable drive over dimensioning (as a cumulative effect of the safety margins associated with hasty and broad-brush configuration) represents a common phenomenon.
with water supply systems, a cascade consisting of aspeed-controlled pump and one or several downstream fixed-speed drives represents an efficient solution
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As a consequence, not only the motor, but also power units, cables and in feeds are dimensioned significantly larger than actually required. Even though this superfluous capacity can be throttled with a frequency converter on the basis of special control algorithms, it would be better to dimension the capacity in accordance with the actual demand already during the planning phase. This not only saves investment costs, but also minimises material consumption – and thus facilitates double efficiency.
Good reasons for fixed-speed technologyWhat are the advantages of fixed-speed technology when permitted by the application? Applications which do not require any speed adjustments due to process reasons can be easily assembled in a highly energy-efficient manner with a motor switching device and (if required) a gear unit. With optimum dimensioning, operation at nominal speed facilitates the entire application’s optimum efficiency. In comparison, not only the converter’s intrinsic losses (ranging from approx. 3-10%) have to be considered with variable-speed drives, but also additional losses in the motor (approx. one per cent) and in the filters (approx. one per cent) required in most cases. When employing fixed speed technology, low-voltage switching
devices with low intrinsic power loss (<0.2% of the motor power are used, thanks to their electromechanical contacts). Even with electronic soft starters, the thyristors are only actively switched during the start-up and run-down phase.
During operation with nominal speed, electromechanical bypass contacts ensure the current feed and thus facilitate minimised losses. Due to the switching devices’ correspondingly reduced energy losses, the temperature inside the control cabinet does not rise to the same extent as with permanently connected power electronics of the variable- speed drive technology. Additional air-conditioning costs can be reduced – from an energetic point of view, this exceeds the converter losses by up to a factor of two. Frequently, this allows for a fan-free and thus low-maintenance heat dissipation of the control cabinet.
Easy configurationType-tested direct-on-line and reversing starters, star-delta and soft starters represent standard circuits which can be easily integrated via CAE macros. No parameters (or only few) have to be considered during commissioning. Familiarisation with additional product-specific software is not required. In the range up to 32A, the switching device assemblies can be rapidly interconnected, without tools, by means of the spring-loaded
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With the cascade circuit, a frequency converter serves the variable demand (orange); the base load is switched via soft starters (green).
connection system and can then be snapped onto the DIN. In-feed systems supply complete groups of feeders without the normally required wiring overhead. Wiring is implemented via unshielded standard cables.
When comparing the space requirements per kW, switching devices stand out with their compact design. Furthermore, they feature a comparatively low weight. The devices are available both with IP20 protection for application inside the control cabinet and with IP65 protection for direct installation on the machine.
The purchase costs of fixed-speed drives are lower than those of variable- speed drives, not only due to the level of functionality, but also as a result of the lower costs in terms of ancillary equipment. Low-voltage switching devices represent a technology which is known and available worldwide. In most cases, devices by various manufacturers can be effortlessly exchanged or combined if required, for example in remote areas. Maintenance technicians are able to rectify any problems on their own, with just a basic knowledge of electrical engineering.
The purchAse cosTs of fixed-speed drives Are lower ThAn Those of vAriAble- speed drives, due To The level of funcTionAliTy And lower cosTs in Terms of AncillAry equipmenT.
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The high reliability of the technology, which has been tried-and tested for decades, coupled with long lifetime characteristics facilitate long-term and fault-free operation. Low-voltage switching devices by Siemens are completely recyclable and thus further contribute to sustainability at the end of their lengthy application period. The assurance of future-proof solutions is paramount: As of 2015, the European Union Ecodesign Directive ErP Lot 11 requires the application of class IE3 efficiency motors in connection with switching devices. Such motors are already available and should particularly be considered for applications subject to continuous operation (more than 1,000h per year). Normally, existing configuration solutions and, in most cases, even the available switching devices can be used further without any problems. This keeps operators on the safe side, both with regard to new installations as well as motor replacements.
The right procedureWhen the responsible configuration engineer takes all essential criteria for the optimum drive system into account, lots of money can be saved both in terms of system design and runtime. Besides economical factors, this also accounts for the aspects of energy efficiency and ecobalance – in short: Sometimes, less is more.
References 1 Siemens AG, Nuremberg: www.siemens.com/sirius/energysaving
(The author is project manager for energy efficiency at Siemens AG in Fuerth. E-mail: [email protected])
Ten reasons in favour of fixed-speed drives:
• Operation of the application with nominal speed with optimum efficiency• Application of switching devices with negligible energy losses• Low temperature rise inside the control cabinet• Easy configuration of the drive train• Low installation costs• Minimum space requirements inside the control cabinet coupled with low weight• Favourable cost/performance ratio of switching devices• Simplified maintenance thanks to generally known technology – available worldwide• High reliability and availability thanks to tried-and-tested technology and easy maintenance and repair
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What does our successful water future look like?
B R AV E N E W W OR L DGLOBAL WATER SUMMIT 2012
30TH APRIL AND 1ST MAY 2012 AT THE CAVALIERI HOTEL, ROME
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365 days after
One year after the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi, the World Energy Council (WEC) published
last month the results of a study analysing the impact of the accident on national nuclear energy plans worldwide. The report, ‘World Energy Perspective: Nuclear Energy One Year After Fukushima,’ found that while very little has changed, especially in non-OECD countries, in respect of the future utilisation of nuclear in the energy mix, the same, unfortunately, also holds true in respect of improving global governance of the nuclear sector.
The report makes it clear that nuclear energy will play a full part in the future energy mix, especially in developing countries. Pierre Gadonneix, Chairman of the World Energy Council also stressed on continuous reinforcement of nuclear safety and transparency. “I believe there is a real opportunity for our world leaders to promote a consensual solution to this issue and thus demonstrate that real international governance, where emerging economies fully participate,
can be successful,” said Gadonneix.Ayed Al-Qahtani, WEC’s Senior
Project Manager, added: “The Fukushima accident has not led to any significant retraction in nuclear energy programmes in countries outside Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Japan. The progress in many national nuclear power programmes, especially in non-OECD countries, has been delayed, but there is no indication that their pursuit of nuclear power has declined in response to Fukushima.”
The report highlights that currently about 50 countries are operating, building, or considering nuclear power as part of their energy mix, with half of these countries being newcomers. More than 60 nuclear plants are under construction, mainly in China, Russia, India and South Korea.
The growth in the utilisation of nuclear power is mainly driven by non-OECD countries – the very countries that are seeing ever rising energy demand. These countries account for 39 out of the 63 nuclear power plants currently being built worldwide
(including 26 in China, 10 in Russia, seven in India).
The report, compiled by energy experts, practitioners and regulators from 13 countries and incorporating feedback from WEC’s network in over 90 countries, ended with the following points for further debates:
1. Public acceptance: As a major stakeholder that can radically affect local policies and plans, the public should be well informed of issues surrounding nuclear generation, including its role in an energy mix, available technologies, costs, benefits as well as risk and safety concerns.
2. Standards: Independent and competent national nuclear safety agencies should adopt minimum safety and reliability operation and maintenance standards, including site location parameters, and skills training and certification maintenance. There should also be minimum transparency standards to allow these standards to be verified.
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3. Verification: An international organisation should be empowered to work with each national nuclear safety agency to draw up these standards and verify adherence to them. The process and results of verification should be publicly available.
4. Design: The same organisation should produce an international accreditation standard for reactor design.
5. Liability and risk: The organisation should also promote the communication of good practices on liability assessment, long-term stewardship as we well risk sharing and management.
6. Human resource management: The organisation should share good practices in human resource management (relating to, for example, nuclear operators, contractors, subcontractors, etc.), including social protection, education, and training, with national nuclear safety agencies.
7. Global cooperation: The organisation should work with national nuclear safety agencies to prepare for nuclear incidents (e.g., the creation of emergency response plans, formation of expert teams, etc.) and exchange scientific information and expertise (subject to due diligence).
8. Finance: Funding mechanisms should be revised to ensure strict compliance to national and international standards.
9. Structure: At national and international levels, there should be an unbundling of responsibilities for the promotion and safety of nuclear power, so as to reduce the potential for conflicts of interest.
On lessons learnedAs observed earlier, the Fukushima accident has led to significant re-think on nuclear energy programmes in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Japan.
Speaking on Platts Energy Week, an all-energy news and talk show last month, Ichiro Fujisaki, Japan's ambassador to the United States, said his country is currently assessing the role that nuclear power will play going forward. "As for the future of nuclear power, we’ll be reviewing our energy mix this year and arrive at the conclusion," Fujisaki said on Platts Energy Week. "But most likely, we will decide to decrease dependency on nuclear. We will not sort of suddenly abolish it, but we have to gradually decrease it."
Prior to last year's disaster, nuclear power supplied about 30% of Japan's electricity, according to the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan. But today, just two of Japan's 54 commercial nuclear reactors are operating, and one of them is expected to go offline on March 26 for a routine check up. Fujisaki noted that since last year's disaster, the reactors that have shut down for refuelling and routine maintenance have been unable to restart due to opposition from local residents.
"It’s not a legal requirement, but we have to have the consent of local communities to restart [them], and we haven’t arrived to that stage," he said.
Since the disaster, Japan has coped with the downturn of its nuclear industry by importing more coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels. But Fujisaki said Japan's long-term goal is to increase its use of renewable energy, which currently account for less than 10% of the country's energy mix.
"What we have to be aiming [for] is clean new energy," he said, adding that the country would strive to develop "breakthrough" technologies in areas such as batteries and a "smart" electrical grid.
The head of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which oversees America's nuclear energy industry, said on the same programme that Japan's nuclear disaster changed the way he thinks about the risks and hazards associated with nuclear
power. NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko said the human toll of the Fukushima disaster would have been far worse had the Japanese government not evacuated tens of thousands of people who lived within a 12-mile radius of the stricken plant.
"What [the Fukushima disaster] really impressed upon me is the importance of thinking about these other factors, like the fact that you’ve displaced a fairly significant population of 100,000 people or so from their homes for an extended period of time," said Jaczko. "These are not things that we think about right now when we talk about the kinds of hazards we design our plants against. It's something we’ll have to tackle in the next couple of years, and figure out if we’re really looking at these accidents in the right way."
Anti-nuclear groups, on that front, argue that some US nuclear power plants should be closed because they are too close to major cities that could not be easily evacuated in the event of an emergency, among other things. These groups often cite the example of Entergy's Indian Point nuclear plant, which is located just 38 miles north of New York City and its more than eight million people.
But the nuclear industry has been quick to reject such arguments, saying Indian Point and other US plants are not at risk from the type of earthquake-triggered tsunami that knocked out the Fukushima plant's systems for cooling its reactor cores and spent-fuel rods.
Jaczko echoed that view, but noted that NRC does plan to impose some new Fukushima-inspired regulations on US nuclear operators. He said he anticipates that most of that work will be completed within five years, with the possible exception of new "seismic reviews" for US nuclear power plants. Those reviews might not get done until 2018 or 2019, based on input from the industry and NRC's professional staff. "So our job in the next couple of years is to figure out how we can accelerate some of that work," he said.
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Opportunities beckonVicky kenrick of Allen & York reports on cAreer prospects
within wAter quAlitY, wAter And wAstewAter engineering sectors in AustrAliA, united ArAb emirAtes, And the united
Career opportunities for water management and water engineering professionals are
increasing due to the convergence of several factors - climate change effects such as drought and flooding, growing urban population, and a greater public awareness of water supply and water quality. According to Allen & York, a London-based international sustainability recruitment consultancy, demands for these skills are growing in Australia, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom.
In 2012, Australia will likely experience an increase in career opportunities within the water quality field following years of severe drought and then devastating floods. But now, Australia, the driest inhabited continent in the world, is progressively
learning how to adapt and deal with these extremes and, in turn, is developing an integrated water management system for a more resilient and sustainable future.
Water scarcity and the subsequent high profile that water has in the Australian consciousness means that Australians are increasingly becoming aware that water quality is just as important as availability. For example, water sensitive urban design is a growing feature in the Australian urban landscape; it has been shown to be effective at removing pollution from storm-water runoff and preventing ecological degradation of creeks and coastal waterways (Water by Design, 2011). This, alongside its long history of drought and flooding, makes Australia a place where
professionals from around the world, are coming to explore the issues of water management in both a unique and international context.
Water management in the Middle EastThe average per capita consumption of water in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is 500 litres per day, which is almost 82% higher than the global average. The threat of water shortages for the UAE, which has the second largest Arab economy, is imminent. The Abu Dhabi government claims that if action is not taken in the immediate future, water resources could run out in the coming decades. A report by the Environment Authority Abu Dhabi (EAD) noted: “Failure to manage the use of water will boost demand by 122% in 2030 and in the absence of sufficient ground resources, desalination plants could fail to meet that demand.” The UAE spends nearly $3.3 billion (Dh11.8 billion) per year on the production of desalinated water to meet the need for drinking water, according to the Ministry of Water and Environment. This amount covers the cost of nearly 70 desalination plants that produce approximately 14% of the world’s total volume of desalinated water.
A growing population, economy, and agriculture demand more water supplies. To combat this water shortage threat, the demand for water management professionals is increasing in the UAE, says Andrew
A growing populAtion, economy, And Agriculture in the uAe demAnd more wAter supplies
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Shotton, Senior Water Recruitment Consultant, Allen & York. “We have a number of career opportunities within water supply and we’re working with leading engineering consultancies on active projects across Oman. We are currently seeing an increased global demand for water engineers and management professionals, with utilities, consultancies, and manufacturing. Water management is of increasing importance within the sustainability agenda and we anticipate strong market growth in this sector.”
Sanitation and water quality Few cities in the world have sewerage networks that connect more than 10% of the population and, according to UN Water, an estimated 90% of all wastewater in developing countries is discharged untreated directly into rivers, lakes or the oceans (UN Water, 2008). In response to this challenge, decentralised wastewater management systems have attracted significant attention and gained acceptance as a solution.
Traditionally, public health and environmental engineers played a major role in the sanitation sector. They use their skills and expertise to construct sanitation systems that improve public health and reduce environmental pollution. However, the sector has evolved in the direction that requires sanitation systems to be designed for multidimensional benefits. Through innovation, creative design, and careful implementation, projects can satisfy demands for water, promote the amenity value of water and energy recovery, as well as meet the conventional objectives of pollution mitigation.
Shotton explained that these schemes require competent, trained engineers with a high degree of t echnical engineering expertise. In addition, engineers require anunderstanding of the wider benefits
related to the social and economic value of alternative technological solutions. As well as possessing traditional technical competences, contemporary environmental engineers therefore need to have a much broader perspective and ability to assess the social and environmental impacts.
More specifically, an increasing number of technical services companies are seeking to recruit mechanical engineers for positions based in the United Kingdom, such as in London, Midlands, North and \
South Wales. Candidates with strong mechanical engineering, design and process engineering experience in water and waste water treatment are favourable to such companies.
Urban water management As the urban landscape expands, so does the challenge of urban water management and planning. The rapidly increasing exploitation of natural resources and the threats posed by climate change and continued environmental degradation provides challenges for water engineering within urban areas. Meanwhile, these opportunities offer reason for optimism. Advancing technologies provide new ways
to treat water from all sources, to recycle it and to control its effects on urban environments, enriching cities and strengthening their economies.
Water engineering professionals face advancing technologies and new approaches that help drive the sense of importance of a profession within the water industry. Moreover, there is a growing awareness of the central role that water resources and water infrastructure can play in advancing the sustainability goals of integrated social, economic, and environmental improvement. This is reflected in the number of job roles within water engineering that we have at Allen & York; two in particular are a wastewater process engineer, where the role involves working on projects from various water frameworks with a large design element and a distributor sales manager, requiring previous experience in selling water quality/ environmental monitoring services and products.
Candidates with an understanding of aquatic ecosystems, knowledge of how land use affects water quality and quantity in urban watersheds, and an appreciation of the issues of sustainability and the impacts of climate change, are well placed to bring value to the process of delivering tomorrow’s urban infrastructure and are hence in demand in the urban environment.
(AUTHOR PIC: The author is with Allen & York, a leading International Sustainability Recruitment Consultancy, specialising across the environmental, renewable energy, energy services, built environment, health & safety, waste, engineering and mining and resources sectors. For more information visit www.allen-york.com)
decentralised wastewater management systems have attracted significant attention and gained acceptance as a solution.
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the powergeneration sector also accounts for significant volumes of pressure transmitters
Over the past decade, the middle east has relied primarily On its natural
resOurces Of Oil and gas tO fuel its rapid grOwth. at the same time, variOus factOrs
have precipitated its gradual transitiOn frOm a purely Oil and gas prOducing regiOn
tO an increasingly diversified ecOnOmy.
The rapid (and diversified) industrialisation, burgeoning population, and the
accompanying infrastructure growth is driving a growing number of Greenfield and Brownfield projects across the Middle East, especially in the utilities (power and water) sector. Furthermore, the growing average oil price and the move towards selling value-added petro products, rather than merely crude oil and natural gas, is increasing the number of projects from the downstream oil and gas and petrochemicals sectors.
The overall Greenfield and Brownfield projects demand from various industry sectors was mildly subdued over the past few years, initially due to escalating costs (in 2007-2008), and subsequently, due to the tight credit situation (from late 2008 to early 2010), which witnessed a few global project partners backing out due to financial reasons. The end of the downturn, however, brought about the renewal of numerous projects, albeit with various changes
in scope or project partners. Despite the current uncertainty in the global economic climate (especially in Europe), the projects scenario in this region remains largely unaffected and fairly promising in the medium-term outlook. Apart from major demand nations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran, there is a growing demand from Iraq, Qatar, and Kuwait, and others that is expected to account for a significant share of the annual Middle East demand over the decade.
These positive developments in the projects scenario bode well for the automation and industrial equipment markets in the Middle East. The largely process industry-driven equipment markets in the region stand to gain from the increased demand for control systems, instrumentation equipment and other capital equipment.
Industrial process transmitters market in the Middle East Process transmitters are used to record and transmit the key parameters of an industrial process. The type of process transmitter to be used for a specific
application depends on the wparameter to be measured, the process conditions, the accuracy required and any cost constraints, among other factors. Based on the basic process parameters, the process transmitters market is segmented into four major product segments: Pressure, Temperature, Level, and Flow Transmitters. Pressure transmitters have the most diverse applications, they are used for Pressure, Level, and Flow measurement applications and account for the most significant share of the transmitters market, in terms of value and volume. The Pressure transmitters market is further segmented into four parts: Differential Pressure (DP), Gauge, Absolute, and Multi-variable. Of these segments, DP and Gauge transmitters are the most preferred by the end users across various industry sectors. Multi-variable transmitters are used to a limited extent, hindered by their relatively recent introduction and higher cost. Level transmitters are
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used for either process or inventory applications with process accounting for over 60% of the demand. Process applications employ both contact (such as guided wave radar) and non-contact (such as ultrasonic transmitters) types of level transmitters.
Flow transmitters (or Flow meters) are of four major types: DP, Velocity, Thermal, and Positive Displacement (PD). Velocity flow meter, which consists Ultrasonic and Electromagnetic, among others, account for the major share of the demand for flow meters in the Middle East. The Ultrasonic (Velocity) and Coriolis Flow meter (Thermal) markets are growing rapidly, even as the PD flow meter market has plateaued. A few countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait continue to use PD flow meters despite the availability of better technologies. But, this trend is expected to change over the next decade.
At the individual product segment level, there demand patterns are changing. For example, within the Flow meters market, there is growth of the Ultrasonic and Coriolis markets, and stable or declining demand for technologies such as Turbine (Velocity) or PD meters. Similarly, within the level transmitters segment, non-contact technologies such as Ultrasonic-based transmitters are gaining acceptance despite the high cost.
In the overall transmitter scenario, majority of transmitters in the Middle East are now based on the HART protocol, which allows for both analogue (4-20 mA) and digital outputs, followed by Profibus and Foundation Fieldbus-based transmitters. Wireless transmitter technology is witnessing a small, yet growing demand trend within applications in the power generation sector and offshore oil and gas platforms, among others. However, due to the cost and other concerns of reliability and security, the adoption is relatively nascent.
Oil and gas projects account for major demandWith the exception of flow meters, sourcing of the transmitter and the sensor (measuring device or element) are often from different suppliers largely due to the cost factor. Therefore, major transmitter suppliers do not focus on manufacturing the element. A case in point is that of Pressure transmitters, especially the DP type, sold by major automation companies such as Emerson and Yokogawa. However, the DP element is often procured elsewhere by the end users or Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) contractors. End users often have local contracted manufacturing facilities to source the DP element or buy it from low-cost (but certified) facilities. Similarly, temperature measuring devices such as Resistive Thermal Devices (RTDs), Thermocouples, and Thermistors are often procured from standardised low-cost companies, rather than from the suppliers of transmitters. On the contrary, Flow meters (except the DP-based flow meters) are sold as a package consisting of the transmitter and metering element (Coriolis, Ultrasonic, or Electromagnetic, among others).
The oil and gas industry accounts for the major share of the transmitters demand, in terms of volume and value. However, the power generation sector accounts for an equally significant share (in volume) of pressure transmitters. The Petrochemicals, Chemicals, and Fertilisers industry is also a significant end user. The water and wastewater segment is a large end-user segment in terms of volumes; but of lower value, due to the less-stringent requirements that allow a larger number of price-competitive suppliers.
The bulk of the sales of transmitters across various industries are directly for the projects’ demand — Greenfield and Brownfield — and,
hence, EPC contractors are the primary sales channel for transmitter suppliers. There is a small, yet sizeable, supply of transmitters to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) /System Integrators (such as Fiscal and non-Fiscal metering skids). Direct sales to the end users take place to address the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) demand.
The after-sales market for transmitters is limited in the Middle East, largely due to the longevity of the technology. Periodic calibration and the use of provers for liquid custody transfer applications, among other measures, increase the life of the transmitter. However, due to the large installed base in the Middle East, there is a regular annual demand for replacement of transmitters. Calibration is undertaken by the in-house maintenance teams to the extent possible, in order to reduce operating costs. However, in certain cases, such as with the calibration of Flow meters such as Gas Ultrasonic flow meters or Coriolis flow meters, the flow meter calibration needs to be done either by the supplier, or by a certified third-party company such as SGS or Intertek, among a few others.
Turnkey solution providers capture major share of growing marketThe transmitters market in the region is largely consolidated among companies such as Emerson, Yokogawa, ABB, Honeywell, Endress+Hauser, and Siemens, among others. Most of these companies supply plant-wide control systems and turnkey solutions, which include field instruments as part of the overall package. Given the cost-competitive nature in case of procurement as a package, these suppliers have a competitive advantage over other instrumentation companies.
The waTer and wasTewaTer segmenT is a large end-user segmenT in Terms of volumes, buT of lower value...
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DonalD Clark talks tO anOOp k MenOn On the ‘busIness Of OperatIOns,’ ‘eMpOwerIng the edge,’
buIldIng a ‘systeM Of systeMs’ and hOw tO e-MaIl an
IndustrIal plant tO suMatra.
Don’s Dicta
don Clark in action at OpsManage 2011 in abu dhabi last year
dOnald (dOn) Clark prefers the phrase “COnvergenCe Of fOrCes” tO desCrIbe the trends and underCurrents drIvIng the prOCess
autOMatIOn Industry tOday. the vICe presIdent Of glObal prOCess Industry sOlutIOns fOr Invensys OperatIOns ManageMent (IOM) Is a 30-year Industry veteran wIth envIable user experIenCe, espeCIally
On the It sIde Of prOCess OperatIOns. In nO partICular Order, he suMMed these “nexus Of fOrCes” In terMs Of “InCredIble eCOnOMIC pressure On OperatIng COMpanIes tO IMprOve theIr perfOrManCe,”
“retIreMent Of skIlled wOrkfOrCe” and “advanCed aCadeMIC baCkgrOunds” Of the new generatIOn Of plant OperatOrs.
Don feels that the process industry wants and increasingly demands more out of its
operations than ever before. “Even though today you may be twice as good in making, say polyethylene, than you were five years ago, that isn’t good enough for the management,” he said. “So you have no choice but become more and more imaginative in terms of where you extract that money.” Having squeezed the ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) layer above and the DCS (Distributed Control System) and PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers) below, all they have left to squeeze is the middle
layer, which Don calls “the business of operations.”
The other big trend is the replacement of the old skilled operators with the younger lot who are deep into computing and harnessing its power, but “are not inclined to understand how the computer works.” Don continued: “There is acceptance and devotion to use as opposed to devotion to understand. Today’s millenians don’t care enough about technology to understand it – they just want to use it.” They join operations with the same expectations from their consoles.
But the "force" that Don finds most
fascinating is the gradual increase in the academic backgrounds of operators over the past 20 years, which makes their predecessors look ‘uneducated’ in relative terms. When he started his career in with Rohm & Haas in 1975, one of the tests that aspiring plant operators had to pass was lifting a drum weighing 200 pounds and putting it on a truck. “In the plant, you had to move drums, so you also had to be a material handler. Being a plant operator in 1975 was a physically demanding job,” explained Don. Cut to the second decade of this millennium, where biotechnology industry pioneer Genentech employs plant operators with PhDs. This extreme swing in the past 30 years has its pluses, as Don points out: “They are much more professional and can be trusted. But they are also very expensive. You need to give them equipment and the information to let them be business persons.”
What if the majority in the industry equate empowering the operations people or “the edge” to loss of control? Don admits that in many companies, the organisational culture has been fashioned by the Socrates’ aphorism "knowledge is power.” Such companies feel that business
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information is highly privileged and shouldn’t be shared. However, Don’s experience and observations have convinced him that these ideas cannot work anymore, and such companies will go through an epiphany sooner than later. “By and large, workers want to do good for the company, but they are often shackled by lack of information,” said Don. “With a particular customer, we convinced them that we can accomplish the same thing by giving their operators a tracking metric that is expressed in units other than dollars.”
Don pointed that by empowering the operators, giving them the ability to manipulate the process, and providing them instant feedback on the business side will transform them into the best economic engine for the company with initial benefits flowing through cost savings alone.
Invensys Operations Management (IOM), the Invensys division where Don works, aims to empower the edge and more. It is on its way to carving out a leadership position in the “opportunity space” that exists between the C-level systems at the top and automation systems on the floor, the middle layer that Don had referred to earlier as the business of operations.
“A corporation's metric of success is not necessarily that of the process; rather, it is the metric of success of converting low cost materials into high value products,” explained Don. Switching to corporate-speak, he pointed out that the difference between the economic value of the material coming in and the economic value of the product going out is the measure of Operating Profit Before Interest and Tax (OPBIT) “That Delta is basically what the shareholders are willing to help fund you. That's your measure of success,” said Don.
However, the operations mindset is always pre-occupied with temperatures, pressures, and flow. “In our industry, the flow is almost always inside pipes; mostly
you don't see anything. It is not surprising that we lose sight of why we are here,” said Don. “To help the people who are responsible for the business of operations in meeting the forecast requirements or providing performance metrics to the corporation, there are MES solutions; only in this case, the acronym expands into Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, not Manufacturing Execution System.”
IOM wants to turn this vacant middle layer, dominated by the humble spreadsheets, into its turf through its InFusion Enterprise Control System (ECS). “With InFusion, we are moving up into this space, providing more and more of a business context to process information, so that you have a real-time measure of performance rather than monthly reports,” explained Don. “We are trying to compress the time lag in the flow of information between the plant and the enterprise in order to allow people to make decisions faster and respond to their own market place changes.”
Defining real time “as access to information when it is required,” he continued: “Down at the plant, where you have interlocks and permissives, real time is defined in sub-milliseconds or milliseconds. Up in here, real time is often defined in minutes. Today, they don't have that access. The analogy I often use is of trying to run the business by looking at the rear view mirror.”
Enabling InFusion to provide that aggregated view of information across the organisation is the ArchestrA integration framework, developed jointly by Invensys and Microsoft. ArchestrA basically ‘industrialises’ Microsoft .NET and other Microsoft technologies for building critical operations management software solutions using industrial software system service extensions from Invensys. “What we did was take Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and make it industrial grade, creating the
world’s first Industrial SOA or ISOA,” said Don.
One of the key services included in ArchestrA is a component object-based application development environment where applications can be rapidly assembled using software objects rather than being programmed. Thus, applications devolve to become objects rather than formal applications. “You are just building objects that you promulgate into this space and they intercommunicate almost as agents,” said Don. The goal of the ArchestrA backbone, he continued, is to provide “a system of systems. The industrial sub-systems have their own HMIs, integration tools, databases. We interface these to the ArchestrA backbone and provide a common human interface for all of that, a common set of tools to build, configure and manage them, a common database (in case you need a database repository which also doubles as a historian), a common way to integrate to the ERP system and also a very rich and powerful application environment so that you can build these objects, manage them or even do object nesting.”
So what is the end benefit here? When doing a big project, Don explained, “you end with one object which is the plant. Inside that nests all the objects, all the way down to an individual discrete element like a pipe. So if you wanted to build another plant like that in Sumatra, you just mail the object.”
However, InFusion, ArchestrA, et al would make sense for an organisation only if it wanted to enable the “business of operations,” advises Don. “If they are perfectly content to operate a process as a process, safe, efficient, reliable, they don’t need any of that. But if they have all that in place but feel they have to become more agile and responsible to customers and/or sales, know where they are right now, they are better off putting in this infrastructure.”
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High pot versus insulation
In the concludIng part of hIs serIes on InsulatIon and hI-pot testIng, Jeff Jowett,
applIcatIons engIneer, Megger provIdes further InforMatIon
about IndustrIal hI-pot testers, and explaIns how cable
hIpots dIffer. (the prevIous InstalMent was publIshed In
Mw-h20 March 2011 Issue)
Industrial high-pots have two primary controls, one to set voltage and the other for trip current.
Current levels are based on accepted values relevant to the reaction of the human body. Not all studies and not all experts agree, but generally 0.5 mA is considered perception level, 5 mA provides a “shock,” and 12 mA is approaching “let-go” current, where the victim can no longer release the source. Therefore, high-pots are typically adjustable across a similar range. If leakage current exceeds the set level, the high-pot must both visibly and audibly “trip”. Test time is commonly one minute, but in the interest of practicality, a one-second test at appropriately higher voltage may also be allowed.
Finally, the specifying agencies want no risk of human error. Unlike an insulation tester, high-pots are often operated by minimally trained personnel on the factory floor. The instrument should do all the work. The operator just changes the test item and pushes buttons. Often the supervisor will set the controls at the start of the run. From the viewpoint of the agencies, the idea is to have uniform testing, with the tester either passing or failing the item. Human judgment, which is absolutely critical in insulation testing, is taboo in industrial high-potting.
Industrial high-pots can be used in troubleshooting applications where
their voltage is sufficient, and some industries like aeronautical and electro-motive use them to break down marginal equipment so that it doesn’t go into service. This usage bridges the gap to high-voltage dielectric test sets that are used for commissioning, maintenance testing and troubleshooting of transmission cable and transformers, motors, bushings and other equipment that operates at elevated voltages. Typical test voltages are values like 70 to 160 kV. The design of such models is a careful balance of breakdown power, measurement reliability, safety and practicality.
Test voltages are multiples of common transmission voltages in order to fully accommodate stress tests. They are used for both proof and maintenance tests. Proof testing is similar to factory high-potting. It looks for breakdown under stress, and is used as an acceptance test upon commissioning and when repaired equipment is returned to service, as in a cable splice. Maintenance testing looks for a value that makes a determination as to equipment’s condition and future service. Current is the preferred unit of measurement rather than conversion to the reciprocal resistance because it is directly observed and easier to work with. Testers commonly operate at around 5 mA, although much greater currents are available in some models.
Although 5 mA approximates the output of a megohmmeter, the much higher voltages produce a quantum leap in power.
In keeping the testers as safe as possible, 5 mA is about the lower limit that will still produce an effective high-pot. For added safety, the power supply is typically a separate module from the control unit, so that the control can be limited to line power only while the high voltage is kept a safe working distance away. At these voltages, arcing becomes a sinister threat, as personnel may not anticipate danger from an airborne arc. Industry-standard safe working distances must be maintained, and keeping the control module separate makes that possible.
Portability is served by having air-insulated power supplies that keep the weight down, while a dc test aids practicality by providing the necessary power in smaller, lighter units than could be accommodated with ac. High-voltage dielectric withstand testers therefore complete the trio by combining critical aspects of both the insulation tester and the industrial high-pot. Depending on the operator and the application, they can be used as measuring devices for maintenance regimes or as breakdown sources to remove equipment from the field.
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PERKINS: Compact power range for EP applications
Perkins has launched a new range of its 400 Series Electropaks in the Middle East during MEE 2012. The 403A-15G2 model, the company press release
claims, meets the 15kVA prime power node which has been normally met so by using larger displacement engines; however, the 403A-15G2’s improved power density, made possible through mechanical governing, enables it offers the same performance but in a smaller package size.
There are four new engines in Electropak specification, providing a turnkey package for direct integration into generating plant. The 403A-11G1 offers 9.2kVA prime power at 1,500 rpm, the 403-15G1 is rated at 13.2kVA prime power, slightly less than its G2 counterpart, while the larger displacement 404A-22G1 completes the line up with 20.3kVA prime power on tap. The facility to mechanically switch the engine between 50Hz and 60Hz according to the requirements reduces inventory for OEMs selling into both markets.
The 400A Series, the press release said, offers a very competitive cost of ownership with the option of the Extended Service Interval (ESI) package, which doubles the service interval to 1,000 hours. OEMs and Perkins distributors will be allowed to source all the individual components to create an oil top up kit that meets Perkins’ recommended specification. As long as the kit is installed to Perkins’ standards, all warranty cover will be unaffected.
The new 400A Series will be manufactured in three locations – Peterborough (UK), Wuxi (China) and Griffin (North America) – to serve the growing electrical power markets in the Middle East, Africa, South America and the Asia Pacific region.
Singer Valve: Total automatic purging system
Singer Valve, a leading manufacturer of control valves, has launches the Total Automatic Purging System (TAPS), which the company claims, is
designed to flush the toughest pipes and improve water quality without compromising fire pressure and ensuring minimal loss of non revenue water. According to a press release issued by the company, TAPS uses an automatic control valve and battery operated timer to control the time, length and pressure required to flush a distribution system effectively.
“Because TAPS is a true water valve, it is already a proven high quality product that will stand the test of time and reduce infrastructure repair,” said Brad Clarke, VP of Sales & Marketing for Singer Valve. “With design innovation we have created superior flushing using minimal water required which results in cost savings.”TAPS, the press continued, optimises the flushing process by offering a range of valve sizes available from 1/2" / 15 mm to 12" / 300 mm to provide the correct velocity to pull or draw fresh water into a zone. This, coupled with the pressure sustaining feature, scours and cleans pipes which reduces corrosion and dramatically improves water quality. With regulated flush cycles and perfected velocity at each individual installation point, fresh water is effectively drawn into areas where water quality traditionally falls below standard. Each TAPS unit includes a water sampling port so that onsite clarity and testing can be easily seen and sampled without disrupting the process.
Pressure sustainability ensures fire flow
TAPS has a unique pressure sustaining feature to ensure minimum upstream pressure is maintained for system needs and in the event that fire flow is needed. Unlike conventional flushing valves that are either open or closed, TAPS has a hydraulically operated valve that introduces or releases water from the control chamber above the diaphragm, which the press release claimed, maintains accurate water flow. It is controlled by an externally mounted pilot system and can be programmed via a handheld unit if desired. This programmable flushing feature allows for scheduled flushing at select times when predicted demand is low. Flow regulation also reduces the volume of wasted water.
TAPS is manufactured with ductile iron, NSF–approved fusion epoxy coating, stainless steel braided pilot tubing, stainless bolts and washers and a 316 stainless steel seat that comes with a lifetime warranty. According to the company, with three optional end connections and individual programming of each unit,
TAPS can be integrated into a variety of utility, industrial and commercial applications. Smaller TAPS units can be easily used as a mobile flushing device. All units can be installed above or below ground depending on weather conditions and can be vertically or horizontally installed depending on space and system setup.
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Atlas Copco: ZS oil-free screw blowers
Most contractors or end-users within the water and wastewater treatment industry typically use the conventional ‘tri-lobe’ roots blowers for large
volume, low pressure air requirements below 1 bar(g). However in the Middle East, the high ambient temperatures coupled with the very basic scope of a conventional ‘tri-lobe’ blower, which relies on splash lubrication, can cause huge problems, which may lead to frequent maintenance interventions or even worse, a complete failure of the blower. To cater to the requirements of the region’s water and wastewater industry, Atlas Copco has recently launched the new ZS screw blower range, which is TÜV certified as 100% oil-free (ISO 8573-1 CLASS 0) in the Middle East.
In general, oil-free screw compressors are relied upon in the industry for medium pressure compressed air for critical applications. The key design features of ZS range include a direct drive without belts and an onboard forced lubrication system for gears and bearing which the company ensures a lower operating temperature within the blower, and thus assures blower reliability and efficiency in hot climates such as the Middle East. The company has further claimed that the ZS oil-free screw blowers are capable of operating uninterrupted with an ambient temperature up to 55°C.
Unlike a conventional tri-lobe blower which relies on external compression, screw blowers compress air internally, which leads to much lower energy consumption. Atlas Copco claims that the ZS screw blower range provides average energy savings of up to 30% compared to their tri-lobe predecessors. The performance of the new ZS screw blower was tested against a tri-lobe blower by the independent Technische Überwachungs-Verein (German Technical Monitoring Association, or TÜV), according to the international standard ISO 1217, edition 4. As per TÜV test results, the ZS is 23.8% more energy-efficient than a tri-lobe blower at 0.5 bar(e)/7psig, and 39.7% at 0.9 bar(e)/13 psig. ZS+ blowers come equipped with as standard an onboard variable speed drive (VSD), complete instrumentation and
‘Elektronikon’ blower controller, which allows operation in both local and remote modes and permits remote monitoring of critical blower parameters, which Atlas Copco claims is a new proposition for the water and wastewater industry.
Al Moubayed, Regional Business Line Manager at Atlas Copco Services Middle East, said: “We strongly believe that screw blowers will revolutionise the market for low pressure compressed air. In the UAE, Atlas Copco has recently opened a new customer centre in Al-Quoz, Dubai to better cater to the requirements of our customers.” For more information, visit www.efficiencyblowers.com
Victaulic: Super duplex ball valve with grooved ends
Victaulic, a leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining systems, has launched Series 726D Super Duplex Stainless Steel Vic-Ball Valve. The company
claims the new ball valve can withstand pressures of up to 8,200 kPa (1,200 psi), making it suitable for high-pressure applications in corrosive environments, such as Reverse Osmosis (RO) and desalination piping systems.
Series 726D is grooved-end, high-pressure, full-port ball valve, which Victaulic avers, provides faster, easier and safer installation than flanged or butt-weld valves. It is connected with the Victaulic Style 489DX rigid coupling, which requires only two bolts to form a secure joint.
“Field assembly is extremely fast,” claimed Stephen Morrison, Global Water Systems Technology Market Director at Victaulic. “And with a smaller profile than a flanged valve assembly, the Series 726D also achieves significant space savings, allowing it to be installed with ease in tight spaces. This makes it extremely attractive for engineers in our market.” Victaulic literature describes the new valve’s flow characteristics as ‘excellent’ and claims lower energy usage than more restrictive types of valves. Other design features include:• The two-piece, end-entry design features a floating ball for lower torque requirements. • Patent-pending composite seat design provides bubble-tight sealing ability for high- and low-pressure requirements. A stem seal cartridge enables easy stem seal replacement.• The valve features an ISO 5211 standard mounting pattern for convenient mounting of remote actuation, including a full range of power actuators and is available in 60-150 mm (2-6 inches) sizes.
To learn more, visit www.victaulic.com
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RFX 2131200027Reverse Osmosis Plants Installation & Associated WorksDubai: Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA)Address: Head Office, Near Wafi Shopping Mall, Zabeel EastCity: Dubai Postal/Zip Code: 564Country: United Arab EmiratesTel: (+971-4) 324 4444Fax: (+971-4) 324 8111E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.dewa.gov.aeDesign, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of three units of Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants with capacity of 100,000 imperial gallons per day per unit and other associated works.275April 8, 2012 Tender No. RFX 2131200027This tender supply is in Dubai. Tender documents can be obtained from:Main Cashier, Head Office,Dubai Electricity & Water AuthorityDubai, UAE.The tender cost is payable in cash or on-line through the website http://www.dewa.gov.ae under the title e-services. Tenders must be valid for acceptance for 120 days from the closing date. The Master Tender Document must be accompanied by a Tender Bond for an amount of not less than five per cent of the total Tendered Price. The Tender Bond shall be strictly in accordance with the Authority's prescribed specimen and valid for (150) calendar days following the last date fixed for receipt of Tender. Completed sealed tender documents should be addressed to:
The Chairman, Board of Directors, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority and deposited into the Tender Box at Authority's Head Office near Wafi Shopping Mall in Zabeel East, Dubai.Participants in the tender should submit the names of their Local Partners/Sponsors, having a valid Dubai Trade Licence along with a photocopy of their current licence. Potable Water Works
WTR193-LEPower Plants Rehabilitation & Improvement Works ProjectLebanonName: Council for Development & Reconstruction (Lebanon)Address: Tallat al-SerailCity: Beirut Postal/Zip Code: 116-5351Country: LebanonTel: (+961-1) 981 252/ 981 253 / 980 096Fax: (+961-1) 981 431/ 981 434 / 981 252E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.cdr.gov.lbCarrying out rehabilitation and improvement of power plants for Ministry of Energy & Water.12,000 June 26, 2012 New TenderThis project is at Zouk and Jieh power plants in Lebanon. The scope of the work involves, but not limited to pre-rehabilitation shutdown, testing, survey, diagnostic, design, manufacturing, supply, construction, installation, testing and commissioning, warranty, spare parts, training etc. The project consists of the following three separate lots:• Rehabilitation and improvement of units 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Zouk power plant• Rehabilitation and improvement of units 1 and 2 of
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middleeasttenders.com +971 2 634 8495
Jieh power plant• Rehabilitation and improvement of units 3,4 and 5 of the Jieh power plant.Tender documents can be obtained from:Tenders Department, Legal Affairs Division,Tallet El-Serail,Council for Development & ReconstructionBeirut, Lebanon.Tel No. (+961-1) 980 096-7Fax: (+961-1) 981 252-3Source of Finance: Arab Fund for Economic & Social DevelopmentBid bond is $ 3.5m - Lot 1$ 1m - Lot 2$ 2m - Lot 3. Power Generation & Distribution
MPP2623-LEDeir Al-Ammar Power Plant Expansion ProjectLebanonName: Ministry of Energy & Water (Lebanon)Address: Corniche du FleuveCity: Beirut Country: LebanonTel: (+961-1) 565 001/013Fax: (+961-1) 565 555Website: http://www.emwis-lb.orgEngineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the expansion of a power plant at Deir al-Ammar.May 28, 2012This project is in Lebanon. It is part of the emergency power plan. Client has issued a tender for the EPC contract. Bid documents will be available from March 19, 2012. Power Generation & Distribution
MPP2622-LEZouk & Jiyeh Power Plants Expansion ProjectLebanonName: Ministry of Energy & Water (Lebanon)Address: Corniche du Fleuve
City: Beirut Country: LebanonTel: (+961-1) 565 001/013Fax: (+961-1) 565 555Website: http://www.emwis-lb.orgEngineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for the expansion of power plants at Zouk and Jiyeh.May 14, 2012This project is in Lebanon. It is part of the emergency power plan. Client has issued a tender for the EPC contract. Bid documents will be available from March 19, 2012.Power Generation & Distribution
MPP2612-SAAbqaiq, Hawiyah & Ras Tanura Electricity & Steam Plants ProjectSaudi ArabiaName: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)Address: Saeed Tower, Dammam-Khobar HighwayCity: Al Khobar 31952 Postal/Zip Code: 151Country: Saudi ArabiaTel: (+966-3) 872 0115 / 810 6999Fax: (+966-3) 873 8190Website: http://www.saudiaramco.comBuild-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contract for the construction of three Greenfield gas-fired steam plants with capacity of 770 MW of power and 2.95-million pounds an hour in Abqaiq, Hawiyah and Ras Tanura.2016New TenderThis project is at Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia. The facilities are likely to have following capacities: Abqaiq – 320 MW and 1,2000 thousand pounds an hour,Hawiyah – 130 MW and 550 thousand pounds an hour, andRas Tanura – 320 MW and
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thousand pounds an hour.Each of the projects will convert fuel gas and feed water provided by client into electricity and steam for sale under an energy conversion agreement. Client has issued a request for qualification (RFQ) to developers to build the plants. Companies have responded to the Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) on this scheme. They include: Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power; UK/France's IP-GDF; South Korea’s Kepco and Samsung C&T; Japan’s Marubeni, Sumitomo, JGC Corporation, Itochu and Sojitz Corporation; Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Oger and Powertek Berhad; Qatar’s Qatar Electricity & Water Company, India’s Tata Power; Malaysia’s Tenaga Nasional Berhad; Singapore Sembcorp; Kuwait’s Kharafi National; UAE’s Taqa and Saudi Arabia’s National Power Company. Selection of qualified applicants is expected by April 22, 2012 followed by issue of request for proposals (RFP) on April 23, 2012. Bids are expected to be submitted by September 01, 2012 and award for three projects expected by December 31, 2012. The selected developer will be required to construct the projects to meet the following commercial operation dates: Hawiyah in November 2015, Abqaiq in January 2016 and Ras Tanura in March 2016. Power Generation & Distribution
ZPR250-KKhiran Independent Water & Power ProjectKuwaitName: Partnerships Technical Bureau (Kuwait)Address: Touristic Enterprises Co. Bldg., 2nd Floor, Al-Jahra Street
City: Shuwaikh Country: KuwaitTel: (+965) 2496 5900Fax: (+965) 2496 5901E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.ptb.gov.kwEngineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build an independent water and power plant in Khiran, with capacity of 2,500 MW of power and 125 million gallons a day (g/d) of water.New TenderThe project is located to the south of existing Al-Zour South power & water project in Kuwait and will include a 400kV substation. Low-sulphur fuel oil, gasoline, crude oil and/or natural gas will be used for fire the plant. Desalination component will use multi-stage flash (MSF), multiple-effect distillation (MED) and/or reverse osmosis (RO) technology. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be established to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the facility. The SPV will sign an energy conversion agreement together with a power and water purchase agreement with Ministry of Electricity & Water. Client has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to consultants to advice on the development. Advisory bids are to be submitted by mid-May 2012. Firms which responded to the call for expressions of interest (EoI) in February 2012 are eligible to bid. Bids will be assessed according to technical and financial criteria with greater emphasis on the former. Winning firm or group of firms will assist the client in structuring, procuring and negotiating the transaction. In addition to advising at the tender stage, advisers will be responsible for carrying out environmental impact studies for the project. Once advisers are placed, client will work to secure fuel allocations for the project.
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54/2012-EWater & Wastewater Treatment Plant ProjectEgyptName: East Delta Electricity Production Company (Egypt)Address: Shebin El kom Street, IsmailiyaCity: Dakahlia Country: EgyptTel: (+20-64) 337 1906Fax: (+20-64) 337 6285E-mail: [email protected] of water and wastewater treatment package for the 650MW Suez Thermal Power Plant Project.1,500 May 31, 2012New TenderTender No. 54/2012This project is in Egypt. Scope of work includes the designing, fabricating, furnishing, testing, delivery, transport to site, unloading, storing, erection, start-up, commissioning and maintenance until the issuance of operation acceptance certificate of the equipment. The tender is open to African Development Bank member countries only. Details can be obtained from the Consultant:Project Procurement Manager,Power Generation Engineering & Services Company (PGESCo)41 El-Salam Avenue, Central District,New Cairo,EgyptTel: (+20-2) 2617 6497Fax: (+20-2) 2617 6519E-mail: [email protected] specified tender fee is to be paid to Account No. 11000441395 with National Bank of Egypt, Ismailiya branch. Bid Bond is $250,000/-. The project is financed by African Development Bank.
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April2012
Global Water: Oil & Gas Summit The event seeks to bring together key decision makers and industry experts to discuss key issues surrounding the water and oil and gas sectors, such as production levels, supply, treatment and environmental solutions. The summit has the official partnership and support of the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) as well as the support of the Global Water Intelligence (GWI) and the International World Water Council (IWWI). It will be held at Madinat Jumeirah under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum.
Contact: Francesca RuggieroTel: +44 - 20 7978 0011 E-mail: [email protected]: www.cwcoilgasandwater.com
6-9 May Muscat
Oman Power & Water Summit 2012Following the success of Oman Power & Water Summit 2011, IQPC and GEC have launched the 2nd Annual Oman Power & Water Summit, which will take place at the Grand Hyatt Muscat. Developed in cooperation with the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) and with the official support of Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Water Resources (MRMWR), Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP), Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER), Electricity Holding Company (EHC) and Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO), the 2012 edition will provide an update on power and water projects in Oman, present the latest innovations and strategies available in the power, water and renewable energy industry as well as review key strategies, objectives and challenges with regard to the management and conservation of power and water resources.
Contact: Rozenn CornecTel: + 971 4 364 2975E-mail: [email protected]: www.omanpowerandwater.com
13-15 May Dammam
WEPOWER 2012 Now in its eighth year, the Water, Electricity and Power Generation (WEPower) Forum has become an annual meeting place to discuss strategies and project opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Forum is supported by the Ministry of Water and Electricity, National Water Company (NWC), Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), SWCC and the Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (ECRA). List of confirmed speakers to the conference include H.E. Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ibrahim, Governor, SWCC; H.E. Loay Al-Musallam, CEO, National Water Company; Abhay Bhargava, Industry Manager, Energy and Power Systems, Middle East and North Africa, Frost & Sullivan; Dr Corrado Somarriva, President, IDA and Abdulrazzag Hijan, General Manager Privatisation and Commercial Affairs, SWCC. WEPower takes place at the Dhahran International Exhibition Centre, located in Dammam.
Contact: Glen MillerTel: + 44 - 203 328 6524 E-mail: [email protected]: www.wepower-sa.com
16- 17 May Abu Dhabi
MENASOL 2012 MENASOL Solar Conference & Expo is the premier solar meeting place for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Now in its fourth edition, MENASOL 2012 will address topics as varied as regulatory frameworks, CSP and PV technology roadmaps, finance, and opportunities in unconventional applications. This year’s event includes:• 40+ expert speakers • Two focused tracks on PV and CSP • 25+ innovative sessions to ensure all the key topics are covered.
Contact: Max CromptonTel: +44 - 207 375 7156 E-mail: [email protected]: www.csptoday.com/solar-conference/
22- 23 May Dubai
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