Quality-critical premium linepipe plates designed to withstand extreme operating pressures once transformed into pipework, are being supplied to the United Arab Emirates for its IGD-E natural gas project in Abu Dhabi by Voestalpine Grobblech GmbH, part of Voestalpine Group’s steel division.
In total the company will supply 95kt of premium linepipe plate to Jindal SAW, Voestalpine’s long-term partner, who will transform it into finished pipeline on-site.
According to Voestalpine, the challenge of the IGD-E natural gas project lies in the need to transport unrefined gas, which places extreme demands on the pipeline itself. “The pipes require especially thick walls of 42-46mm in order to withstand extreme operating pressures,” claims the Austrian steelmaker.
On completion in 2017, the 114km high-pressure pipeline will carry natural gas extracted in the Arabian Gulf to Abu Dhabi, meeting the city’s 15% annual growth in demand for natural gas.
Wolfgang Eder, chairman of the management board of Voestalpine AG, said that market conditions in the energy sector at present are ‘extremely challenging’, making it ‘all the more satisfying to have won another major contract’.
Herbert Eibensteiner, Voestalpine’s head of the steel division, said that the contract ensured capacity utilisation at Voestalpines plants over the coming months, adding that it also confirmed the company’s position as a global market leader in the sector.
Furthermore, the contract, claims Voestalpine, ensures solid growth in its heavy plate business over H2 2015.