Pipe dream becomes reality
The salmon producer has been upgrading the Knock hatchery over the past few years around sensitive production schedules, with an overall view to upgrade one of their key production units with state-of-art technology for the production of juvenile salmon.
For Fusion, the first phase of the project, which was completed in June 2013, involved working alongside other contractors to install a new ring main section in 400/500mm pipe with associated directional valves. This would allow installation, at a later date, of a new water supply that would feed the existing site and also allow for future expansion.
Phase two, which has just been completed, involved the creation and installation of a specialised 400-630mm PE manifold, complete with associated control and directional valves, which directs water from the new river intake source through a series of modern water treatment plants into the main ring system that Fusion Marine had previously helped to complete in 2013.
The scale and complexity of the installation meant that the specialist 630mm manifold had to be pre-fabricated off site into five sections. These sections, each weighing up to ¾ of a tonne, were then assembled onsite with the associated directional and control valves, also up to ½ a tonne each, using innovative ‘Blue Box’ Electrofusion technology that now forms an integral part of Fusion Marine’s quality control processes.
According to Rhuaraidh Edwards, Technical Sales Engineer for Fusion, the most challenging aspect was the final installation of the different components, some of which were of considerable size and weight.
“It’s like putting together large pieces of a complex jigsaw,” he said. “Getting the various components lined up to tolerances as small as a few millimetres was incredibly challenging, but we are delighted with the end result.
“We are particularly pleased that Scottish Sea Farms have once again been able to utilise our expertise in pipeline systems in their hatcheries to help provide a system that meets their exacting requirements.”
