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Molson Coors Brewery, Alton, Hampshire
Replacement of borehole pump supplying water to the brewery
MJ Abbott Ltd were commissioned by Molson Coors to replace the existing borehole pump which supplies water to the brewery for production of Coors beer, along with other well-known brands.
The large site in Alton, Hampshire, relies upon three sources of water to maintain production, and the pump which required replacement had served for well over 20 years.
The contract came with its own difficulties in so much as the site was restricted by security fencing on all four sides and the borehole was located internally inside a pump shed, so crane access could not be employed and the use of a small spider crane would have been impossible due to the restricted height of the shed and the overall weight of the large pump, riser and cable.
An overhead gantry system with “block & chain” was used to lift the existing borehole pump, rising main and cable out of the existing borehole.
The existing pump was a large Pleuger zinc-free bronze submersible pump fitted with a 90kW 400V motor weighing in at 800kg. The pump was attached to an existing 150mm rising main which was split in 3m lengths due to the height restriction in the plant room, to a depth of 52m below ground level. Strapped to the rising main was 70m of 50mm² x 4 core pump cable, adding additional weight for the pump removal. The combined weight of the pump, riser and cable was in excess of 2,000kg (2 tonnes).
Due to the age of the riser, severe corrosion had occurred, and each of the bolts connecting the rising main had to be either ground off or cut off, increasing the work required to remove the pump.
Because the old pump had served the site so well, the client was keen to install a “like for like” replacement. A new Pleuger zinc-free bronze submersible pump was therefore installed along with a new 90kW motor, on 52m of new DN150/PN16 ductile iron rising main in 3m lengths joined with Sheraplex bolts, and 70m of new 50mm² 4-core pump cable.
Bob Groves, Project Manager for Molson Coors Brewery, said he was very impressed with the MJ Abbott team at all levels, and that it had been a pleasure to work alongside us on this project.
