MACHINERY | PVC-O PIPE


Right: Molecor’s PVC-O pipe has been used to supply fresh water to Pernik in Bulgaria, after it suffered a severe drought


estimated 75% of the water from the dam being lost on the way to the city. The situation led the city authorities to implement new measures to ensure a water supply to the population – which was already suffering daily water cuts, with a supply for only six hours per day. The answer was to build a 12.5km long pipeline


from the Belmeken dam. It is made from Molecor’s Tom PVC-O pipe, has a diameter of 630mm and a pressure range of 16, 20 and 25 bar. The line has a capacity of 300 litres/second. The project began on 29 January 2020 and, with an installation rate of several kilometres per day, was finished on 13 March.


As well as their lightness – being around 50% less dense than PE or PVC, and up to 12 times less than cast iron – the PVC-O pipes were easy to join, which helped to eliminate leaks. Molecor adds that the pipes have a 15-40% higher hydraulic capacity than pipes of the same external diameter, made from other materials. This helps to reduce pumping costs. The PVC-O pipes are resistant to water hammer and to sudden variations in flow and pressure – which helps to reduce the possibility of rupture and leakage. Low maintenance costs was a key advan- tage of the new line. Molecor says that the service life of the pipes is


more than 75 years – leading to huge resource savings in the long term.


New certification Molecor’s PVC-O pipes and fittings were recently recognised with Aenor’s N mark – which has granted the corresponding product certificates. A new Spanish standard, called UNE-EN 17176, was published in December 2019. It is based on the European standard EN 17176 for PVC-O. It replaces the previous reference standard (UNE-ISO 16422). Molecor says it is the first company to achieve product certification according to the new standard. Molecor’s TOM PVC-O pipes have been certified


according to the new standard for pipes, while its EcoFittom fittings have also been certified. The company says that its Tom pipe maintains the characteristics of a class 500 pipe over 100 years, as shown by long-term tests (10,000 hours) carried out by the CEIS laboratory. The new certifications comply with European


standard EN 17176, so cover the regulatory requirements of all European countries in which the European standards EN apply, says Molecor. Molecor recently announced a 50-year guaran- tee on all products made at its Loeches production centre (Madrid), in accordance with the Spanish standard UNE-EN 17176: 2019.


26 PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | October 2020


At the same time, Spanish private equity firm MCH has taken a “majority stake” in Molecor. The takeover, which took place in August, has “signifi- cantly increased the company’s capital, mainly to support future growth”, said Molecor. Molecor founding partners Ignacio Muñoz (CEO) and Jose Manuel Romero (CFO) continue to be shareholders and retain their roles – as do the rest of the management team.


PVC-O in Paraguay The use of PVC-O in South and Central America is relatively low, though a recent project in Paraguay used a network of 160mm PVC-O pipe in a ‘mini aqueduct’. The project, which cost around US$0.5m,


provides around 15,000 litres/hour of fresh water to four indigenous communities in Chaco Central. This is around 200km from the water treatment plant in Filadelfia, according to a report on the country’s ABC news site. With some modifications, the system could be


expanded to supply 20,000 litres/hour. Elsewhere, the Paraguayan Sanitary Services


Company (Essap) has replaced a stretch of drinking water pipes in Asunción with PVC-O pipe. In the project, 660m of 4in PVC-O material and


340m of 2in PVC pipe were installed. The objective was to update obsolete pipes and move the distribution network in order to avoid future water losses. The work was carried out by the contractor Kuarahy Ingeniería, and supervised by Essap.


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.iplex.co.nz � www.ipexna.com � www.molecor.com


www.pipeandprofile.com


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