The storage of drinking water is becoming more and more important, as we are experiencing longer periods of drought. Therefore, drinking water company Evides in the Netherlands has heavily invested in enlarging its water storage capacity in the area called Biesbosch.
In order to transport water from the river Bergse Maas to the new storage facility, a pipeline was needed. And not an average one: the pipes have a diameter of no less than 2.100 mm (84"). Moreover, the pipes needed to be coated with polypropylene, which we also took care of. In total, Van Leeuwen supplied 4.7 km of these large tubes.
The exceptional tubes had to be specially made, for which we used our extensive network of tube mills. Moreover, the pipes needed to be temporarily stored until they could be shipped to the project site in partial deliveries. A part of the large, own storage area in Zwijndrecht was cleared an prepared with sand bags so the coated pipes would not be damaged. Our storage area can be reached by ship, which was of great advantage as well.
For the execution of this complex project, our distinctive capabilities came to good use: profound product knowledge, expertise in the field of logistics and transport, a worldwide procurement network and project management skills.
In the Botlek area, outside of Rotterdam, a brand new tank storage facility has been built for the storage of oil and biofuel products. Van Leeuwen supplied all piping material for this facility, which has a total storage capacity of 1,3 million m3. The scope of delivery included over 80 km of seamless and welded pipes to ASTM and API, and approximately 45,000 fittings and flanges.
But this was not all. Temporary storage was needed during the project, for which our vast storage area in Zwijndrecht came to good use. Extra challenges were thrown to the project team when the coronavirus broke out. Our extensive stocks, our international network of suppliers and our good relationships with subsuppliers helped to minimize delays in the supply chain.
Big projects like these have a span of several years, so excellent project management is key. A dedicated project team took take care of expediting, transport of deliveries, material inspections and tests, solving technical issues en organizing regular progress meetings with the customer.
With projects like these, we prove that we are more than a stockist and supplier of pipe and tube material. Our slogan "Van Leeuwen - more than tubes" is not a hollow phrase!
The project concerned the replacement of a pipeline delivering jet fuel from Southampton to the airport of London, notably Heathrow. For the Van Leeuwen company in the UK, this was the largest single project for our global customer Exxon Mobil, locally Esso UK.
During 2020, the dedicated project team made sure 10,000 tons of specialized hot rolled seamless piping, with a 3-layer polyethylene coating, were delivered. The suppliers in Germany worked closely with the Van Leeuwen team to deliver the clients exacting specification, with a commitment to logistics sustainability, via trains and chartered vessels for delivery to the UK. The almost 100 kilometer of pipe manufactured by Vallourec Germany, and 842 bespoke coated bends, were successfully discharged in the UK in the port of Marchwood, in the vicinity of Southampton.
To ensure a smooth execution, we used our proven Dedicated Project Storage Area (DPSA) concept. Working along Esso’s nominated EPC, Worley, Van Leeuwen and its partners discharged from chartered specialized ships, inspected and stowed safely the almost 8.000 pipes into the grass root developed DPSA. The four acre DPSA, fully managed by Van Leeuwen, has served as the focal point for inventory control for the project partners, with Van Leeuwen supplying data analysis to the project and ensuring an ‘on time’ availability when loadouts were required ensuring a reliable supply flow during the pipeline construction at the ‘right-of-way’.
The coated pipes were protected by special shields for UV protection. A continued safe load plan was executed during 2022 to the contract partner Spiecapag/Taylor Woodrow, which was completed without incident in February 2023. The DPSA concept and the Van Leeuwen project management team both strongly contributed to a successful execution of this important pipeline project in the UK.
