Boskalis invests in a new, environmentally friendly high flow pump unit

Boskalis Nederland is a part of Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. Boskalis was established in 1910 and has expanded from a local dredging contractor to a leading global maritime services company with over 11.000 employees. Originally, dredging and earth moving were the core activities of the company. They are now additionally active in the construction and maintenance of harbours, land reclamation, inland infra, and offshore energy sectors.

The Challenge

Boskalis Technical Service Nederland (their internal rental company) in Capelle aan den IJssel manages several mobile pump units with high and ultra high flows. Boskalis clearly prefers environmentally friendly equipment and has very specific requirements from their pumps which include;

– The pump must have a minimum capacity of 5000 m3/hr and a pressure in excess of 3 bar;

–  Excellent suction capabilities (NPSHr curve) and suitable for use as a dewatering pump;

–  High fuel efficiency combined with the lowest exhaust emissions;

– The pump unit should fit into a 20 ft. container for easy transport;

– The maximum weight should be no more than 12,000 kilograms.

Boskalis has a number of widely divergent projects around the globe. This makes multi-functionality and ease of logistic handling important factors in the purchase of new equipment. In addition, durability and corporate social responsibility are central to the company’s values. As an example Bas van den Brand, a technical superintendent with Boskalis Nederland, mentions the topic of weight. “For a pumpset of this size, 11 to 12 tons is usually the maximum permissible due to limitations in handling on site. Also, the soil layers can be substantially compacted and cannot always carry the weight”.

The Solution

Early in October 2014, Boskalis Nederland officially commissioned the delivery of a BBA high flow pump unit of the type BA-C500S11 D711 with a very attractive efficiency of 86%. The auto prime pump provides a capacity of 5500 m3/hour (24000 US GPM) and a maximum head of 37mwk (120 ft). The pump is driven by a modern Stage IV Volvo Penta diesel engine; the TAD1374VE. This provides a power of 375kW and delivers the lowest specific fuel consumption in its class (207 g/kWh). Exhaust gas is treated using AdBlue®. It is fully equipped with the newly developed, extremely silent and light weight canopy and its dimensions ensure that it fits into a 20 ft. container without any problems. The total weight of the pump unit is just 10.800kg!

The Result

The new BA-C500S11 has now been deployed in a first project in Muiden. The A1  highway is being widened and partially rerouted. The Boskalis Nederland employees on-site are very impressed with the pumping performance, especially with regards to the low noise emissions.

Upon commissioning positive feedback abounded:

“This pump unit only has to work half throttle to do the job – at 1250 rpm it provides as much capacity as the old one at 2000 rpm”.

“Incredible, there’s not even any smoke from the exhaust at start-up”.

“It’s amazingly quiet”

“The former pump unit regularly clogged up due to solid materials as a result of the vertical drainage hose we use here – fortunately the BA-C500S11 can just pump it”.

BBA Pumps has decided to include this pump unit in its standard product range.

Henno Schothorst, BBA Pumps’ Product Manager says: “We can’t ignore this any longer; this is a pump unit for the future”. For more information visit www.bbapumps.com