BBA Pumps supplies lock complex with a unique temporary pumping installation

The Theodorushaven is a port and industrial area located to the west of the town of Bergen op Zoom. Thanks to the Burgemeester Peterssluis (lock), there is a direct connection with the Scheldt-Rhine Canal, allowing vessels with draughts of up to 4.5 meters to reach the port.

The challenge for our pump specialists

When the following conditions come together: persistent heavy rain, wind from the wrong direction and spring tide, the gates are closed on both sides of the lock to guarantee safety in the port area.

Once the lock gates are closed, a temporary pumping installation mounted on a pontoon maintains the water level within the harbor area. The greatest challenge is then to manage the difference between high and low tide, which could be as much as 75 cm.

BBA Pumps has recently delivered a unique pumping system which takes care of the water level difference by means of a flexible construction at the discharge side. The discharge connection of the 20" high volume pump - type BA500G - is vertically installed. On top of this, a galvanized manifold for 3 x 12-inch bends including a work platform are incorporated.

As soon as the pontoon with the pump docks in front of the lock gate, 8-meter long rubber discharge hoses are connected to a manifold on the quay. This ensures enough flexibility to absorb the water level difference while pumping. The discharge pipe - which runs to the end of the lock - consists of a non-return valve, a manual shut-off valve and about 150 meters of steel flange pipes with a diameter of 600 mm.

A unique pumping system on a pontoon

In consultation with the customer - the Brabantse Delta Water Board - the BBA Pumps team scheduled an official SAT (Site Acceptance Test), which was conducted mid-February. During the day, the steel pipes were laid parallel to the lock and at just a short distance away in the harbor, the pump set as well as its external fuel tank were placed onto the pontoon. In order to minimize any inconvenience caused by (water) traffic, the lock was closed at night so that the pump could be connected to the piping and the test could be completed successfully.

"It was a really special project for us. The BBA Pumps' innovation team had planned the entire system, calculated it and took care of all the necessary drawings. Nevertheless, it is still rather nerve wracking to have just a few hours to connect and test the installation at such an immense lock complex", said Henno Schothorst, Product & Marketing manager at BBA Pumps.