Muscat -- Amiantit Oman's newly established Pre-stressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) manufacturing plant, the first facility of its kind outside of North America and Europe, has commenced operations at Rusayl in Muscat Governorate.
The factory was formally inaugurated by Dr Omar al Zawawi of OMZEST in the presence of a number of government dignitaries and Omani business leaders. In attendance were Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Futaisi, Ministry of Transport and Communications; and Mohammed bin Abdullah al Mahrooqi, Chairman of the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW). Also gracing the opening with their presence were leading Omani business personalities Shaikh Suhail Bahwan and Shaikh Mohammed Saud Bahwan.
The PCCP plant marks an important addition to Amiantit Oman's growing capabilities in the Sultanate. Established in 1974 by Royal Decree, Amiantit Oman is a leading contributor to the manufacturing sector of the Sultanate. The company is jointly owned by Omzest, Shaikh Suhail Bahwan and Shaikh Saud Bahwan business groups and caters to the retail and infrastructure sector of the country by supplying to clients such as the PAEW, Haya Water, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Petroleum Development of Oman (PDO), the municipalities of Muscat, Sohar and Dhofar, and Salalah Sanitary Drainage Services Company to name a few.
The factory uses cutting edge machineries imported from Europe and the USA to manufacture PCCP pipes, which are predominantly used worldwide as a preferred pipe of choice for water transmission pipeline networks. The manufacturing facility has been established in technical collaboration with Munro Limited, who are one of the largest manufacturers of Precast Concrete products in North America. The plant has been accredited with ISO, CE, KITEMARK and the world-class Lloyd's certification.
The PCCP pipes manufactured by the company adhere to the American Water Works Association Standards and also fully meet the water transmission pipeline specification and operational requirements of the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW). These pipes have also been technically evaluated for their compliance with the PAEW specification by Sultan Qaboos University. PCCP pipes are also 40 per cent cheaper than imported Ductile Iron pipes, which are currently the mainstay for water transmission networks in the Sultanate. In addition, several international studies have been conducted to prove the performance and superiority of PCCP pipes against other types of metallic pipes, which are subject to corrosion especially in the corrosive soils of the Middle East region.
PCCP pipes are used as a backbone for water transmission networks in many countries including North America, China, Japan and India to name a few, and in the MENA region these pipes are used extensively in Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria among many other countries.
© Oman Daily Observer 2014
