Piping Project “REM4”
SOGEA MAROC has been awarded the “REM4” project to be carried out in the OCP Group (Office chérifien des phosphates) in Jorf Lasfar. It is the fourth phase of the seawater uptake and distribution project intended for cooling OCP industrial plants.
The “REM4” project required MAD 330m. Delivered within in 26 months, the project works included installation of 2 km of concreate cylinder pipes (ATS) DN 2500, 2.6 km ATS DN 3000, a storage tank of 60,000 m3, as well as a pumping station of 61,000 m3 /h of flow.
Local pipe production (ATS)… a first in Morocco
To meet the requirements and demands of our Client “OCP”, SOGEA MAROC has invested in the design and production of SOGEA’s concreate cylinder pipes (ATS).
Our diversification policy motivated us to invest in new technologies for designing concreate cylinder pipes (ATS) specific to SOGEA MAROC. We are now a major leader in this field, which distinguish us from others.
Expert Opinion
Hydraulic operations manager,
Said MAHZOUN, Chief Operating Officer in charge of hydraulic engineering, has an experience of 14 years working with SOGEA MAROC and 7 years in technical engineering department
What is special about concreate cylinder pipes (ATS)?
The ATS pipe (Sogea concreate cylinder) is a pipe that combines the pros of steel and concrete. It is both self-anchored and strong, assembled through interlocking and internal welding. Thus, it constitutes a monolithic pipe which frees itself of stoppers and bolts and supports moving loads and internal and external stresses.
Besides producing ATS pipes, are there any other new techniques used for carrying out the project?
The first segment of 120 ml with an incline of more than 30% was a real challenge, especially since access to the machines is impossible. Our teams have imagined, designed and produced a metal template on a rail to bring down the pipes and inserting them one by one, in compliance with quality and safety measures.
How is this project a challenge? What are the challenges?
The REM4 project is a real challenge on several levels:
1. It is the first time that we install a DN 3000 concrete cylinder pipe, which required special and complicated logistics for its design, production, transport, welding and usage.
2. Giving that it concerns seawater, it was necessary to choose high quality materials anti-corrosive. We opted for marine concrete for concrete pipes and structures, bronze-aluminum for pumps and special coatings for steel components.
3. The pumping station is also a major challenge. It is intended to supply, via the same pipe, three tanks initially and three additional tanks in the future. Giving that these tanks have various level differences, the pumping station must adapt to endless configurations and scenarios according to the flow rates required for each tank. It must have a very wide operating range to meet the requirements.
Giving these requirements, all our usual suppliers declined our request. we had to go to the UK to find a supplier who can design and produce, especially for us, axial flow pumps, powered by 10 KV, with variable speed drives, submersible engines cooled with water and resistant to Seawater.
Do you have any other specific information concerning the “REM4” project?
This is a turnkey design-build project, which aims to restructure the transfer of seawater from the OCP in Jorf Lasfar. This is the 4th seawater intake project, but it contains a tank and a new distribution of water unlike the first 3 projects. The flows passing through it exceed 300,000 m3 /h.
This required specific and advanced engineering to identify all hydraulic phenomena linked to water hammer and upstream vortices of pumps. A CFD digital model has been designed to simulate flows at different levels of structures.
The project also provides tele-management of all seawater installations. All the information is collected via optical fibers and transferred to a control room from which the operator can start or stop the pumps, and open or close the gates of the entire seawater system from OCP to JORF LASFAR.