Middle East plastics pipes market emerges

The construction industry in some sectors of the Gulf has taken a hit from the current recession. However, as projects are refinanced building is resuming and demand is expected to rise again for plastics pipe. This was the conclusion at the recent AMI conference, Middle East Plastic Pipes 2009 held in Dubai in June. PVC dominates the world pipe market and according to Neproplast around 40% of all PVC produced is used in pipe and fittings. PVC demand in the Middle East and Africa is expected to outstrip production in the near future. A recent study suggested a pipe lifetime of up to 100 years. The Saudi economy showed a record surplus of $150.6 billion in 2008, a rise of 59% compared to 2007. The 2009 budget for the country predicts revenue of $109.3 billion with government spending of $126.7 billion: construction projects are expected to grow by 4% and $9.4 billion has been allocated for water, agriculture and infrastructure projects. The population of Saudi Arabia is 60% young people, so demand is expected to grow for schools and housing. On average the local market for PVC pipe has grown by 10% annually since 2000 and is expected to grow by 4% in 2009. The current issues in Saudi Arabia are the limited availability of raw materials, the need to produce lead-free pipes, competition with other pipe materials and some poor quality pipe in the marketplace. CPVC pipes are being used in the Middle East for applications such as desalination plants and fire sprinkler systems, according to Lubrizol Advanced Materials. The material is heat resistant to 95C, has good chemical and microbial resistance and low flammability (LOI of 60). In a fire it chars instead of burning and the char creates an additional thermal barrier. Polyethylene pipe and fittings have developed to meet construction requirements according to GF Piping Systems, with diameters increasing dramatically since 1990 from 200 mm, with current Gulf production of 1600 mm pipe and up to 1200 mm fittings. Joining technology has also advanced from socket fusion in 1960 to the latest E-couplers and fittings. Ovality can cause issues in pipe joining, creating a gap between the pipe and the coupling particularly in larger pipes. This can be overcome by various methods including re-rounding the pipe, for example using pneumatic operated pads to apply pressure, or contracting the coupler during the welding process. Recent projects include the installation of 8 parallel 9 km sewer lines between Mussafah and Mafraq of 630 mm diameter. Large diameter pipes are in huge demand There is a growing demand for large diameter pipes for applications such as desalination plants and cooling lines for power plants. Krah AG focuses on large marine outfall pipes with sizes up to DN/ID 3400 and integrated E-Fusion joints. On shore pre-welding of up to 500 m lengths has been achieved, with concrete ballast rings shaped to fit the pipe and slotted on at intervals. These pipe strings are then towed to the sinking site. PE offers reduced costs in terms of installation and production compared to conventional iron and steel pipe in both drinking water and gas supply. BMC Gulf focuses on HDPE pipes and fittings, and also offers welding technology and training, with certification linked to the German system. Storage, handling and laying of plastic pipes are critical for successful installation. In the Middle East, water loss by leakage is much higher than in Europe, for example in Germany leaks account for 7.3%, in Jordan and Syria this is 45% and in Mecca it is up to 46%. Improving quality control extensively reduces waste. Flexibility and resistance stressed in new products There are new pipe materials entering the market. Borouge has produced new high modulus polypropylene (PP-HM) for durable sewage pipes, where the flexibility and chemical resistance of plastics mLebron XIII Low EP