Mongolia: Drinking water with the help of Austrian technology

agru close fit folded pipe lining in mongolia

Ulaanbaatar’s drinking water network is being rehabilitated using AGRU’s close-fit and pipe lining technology. This undertaking is a soft-loan project that Austrian RTi Rohrtechnik Group is currently implementing in Mongolia.

The AGRU Close-Fit Liner is installed by the Austrian RTi Rohrtechnik Group. After the AGRU Close-Fit Liner has been inserted into the existing old pipe, both ends are sealed and the pipe is pressurized with water steam.

Approximately half of Mongolia’s entire population – some 1.3 million people – live in its capital Ulaanbaatar. Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s economic, cultural and social centre. Like in every other big city, reliable drinking water supply is a crucial factor in the population’s health and the functioning of society as such.

SOFT-LOAN PROJECT GETS STARTED

In the framework of a comprehensive soft-loan project considering several levels of government RTi Austria GmbH was commissioned to supply Ulaanbaatar’s Waterworks (USUG) with systems and materials to renovate the public water supply network. The project aims at putting Ulaanbaa-tar’s Waterworks in the position of being able to implement pipeline rehabilitation work themselves in the future, backed by the technical support from the RTi Group. All equipment was already dis-patched in 2018. This not only included rehabilitation systems for the CIPP and close-fit method but also TV camera systems, cleaning systems and milling robots. Austrian manufacturer and plastics expert AGRU Kunststofftechnik delivered the Close-Fit Liner to the construction site in ready-to-use coil form. Thus a folded and PE pipe string reduced in diameter – the so-called AGRU Close-Fit Liner – can be pulled into the existing pipe without requiring laborious earthwork.

TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS

A few partner companies were also involved in this project. The inspection unit was equipped with a camera solution provided by iPEK. To take care of milling work a complete robot system supplied by SCHWALM was utilised. The Austrian producer AGRU Kunststofftechnik supplied the Close-Fit Liner for the professional renovation of the drinking water system.

Rehabilitation gets underway in Mongolia. The Close-Fit Liner was supplied by Austrian producer AGRU Kunststofftechnik.

The AGRU Close-Fit Liner folded pe pipe — When relining without an annular space, a folded and therefore reduced PE pipe string, the so-called AGRU Close-Fit Liner, will be pulled into the old pipe.

8,000 KM ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY

Following this time of training it was time to ship the entire fleet of high-tech rehabilitation systems to Mongolia. The convoy consisting of a total of five vehicles was facing a spectacular journey of more than 8,000 km on land. It crossed a total of four countries and used the world’s longest railway line – the Trans-Siberian Railway – to cross all of Russia.

OPENING CEREMONY IN ULAANBAATAR

Following the systems’ successful transport, the rehabilitation systems were started up on site in Ulaanbaatar for the first time. For this momentous occasion, the City of Ulaanbaatar invited important representatives from the economy and politics to a magnificent opening ceremony. A 200-m-long DN 150 mm Close-Fit Liner supplied by AGRU Kunststofftechnik was installed in the course of the festivities. In the autumn of 2018 another 800 m of PE Close-Fit Liner were installed in the course of training and know-how transfer. Once the harsh Mongolian winter is over rehabilitation work will be resumed in the spring of 2019.