The challenging project was that a harbour needed to be deepened to accommodate larger fishing vessels and ferries off the coast of Norway, 130 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. While it is possible to blast and drill under water, the best solution in this case was to close the entrance and drain the harbour. However, because of the location, the contractors were racing against time to complete the project before the arrival of the winter season.

The urgency was to drain the 1.2 million cubic metres of water in 2 weeks. The demand was for high performing pump sets that could withstand the volumes involved, were reliable and able to meet strict environmental conditions. Because the pumps had to be mounted on barges, the total of pump sets had to be kept to a minimum and capable of running for long periods of time between refueling.

Many options were considered but found the most dependable and efficient solution was the Pioneer vacuum assisted self-priming pumps as they could complete the project with just two 18" pump sets. Because of the limited work space and refueling concerns, this was without a doubt the best solution and met all the necessary requirements. Custom built for the project the pumps were mounted on skids with a fuel tank of 2000 litres, appropriate for 24-hour operation.

Once a box dam had closed the harbour entrance, the pump barge was then deployed. With a total dynamic head (TDH) of 18 m, and a static lift of 2.5 metres, the pumps sustained a daily output of 3,000 m3 per hour per pump set running at an efficient 1800 rpm through discharge piping that ran over the harbour wall to the sea. The solution completed the dewatering of the harbour in a mere 11 days, pumping a total volume of water in excess of 1.4 million cubic metres allowing the main contractor to begin excavating 3-days ahead of schedule.

Dynapumps are the Pioneer Pump Specialists with access to their full range of centrifugal pumps and spares. We can offer complete product knowledge and service capabilities with installation, commissioning, testing and maintenance from our on-site technician team. Contact Dynapumps for complete pump solutions on 1300 788 579 or email sales@dynapumps.com.au.