KSB to Install Four Wastewater Pumps in London's Lee Tunnel


KSB pumps will be installed as part of the largest wastewater project to date in the United Kingdom.

KSB will supply four 52-ton wastewater pumps for the construction of the Lee Tunnel in London. Each of these pumps will feature an impeller measuring 2.2 meters in diameter. At this year's IFAT trade fair in Munich May 7-11, KSB will be showing one of these giant impellers as a special highlight at its booth 323/422 in hall A6.

A total of six pump sets, including two smaller drainage pumps, will be installed in a shaft structure 85 meters below the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in London - Britain's largest wastewater and sewage treatment plant - and used to transport combined storm water and sewage.

These wear-resistant, white cast-iron pumps will each be driven by a 6,600-volt motor with a drive rating of 3.4 MW, controlled by a frequency inverter. To keep these motors cool, the pump manufacturer will deploy heat exchangers specially engineered for this underground application. Compared with equivalent air-cooled systems, these heat exchangers will sharply reduce the amount of energy required to dissipate the thermal load.

The shaft structure will be located at the end of the approximately 7-kilometer Lee Tunnel, which represents the first stage of a huge construction project. The goal is to prevent an untreated mix of storm water and sewage from entering the Thames during periods of heavy rainfall. With a diameter of 7 meters, the Lee Tunnel will be able to capture and temporarily store some 382,000 cubic meters of storm water.

By the final stage of construction, the tunnel will have a total length of 39 kilometers and around 40 shafts. It will follow the course of the Thames at a depth of 25 to 80 meters, making it the deepest tunnel in London and one of the deepest wastewater tunnels in Europe. One major reason for selecting the KSB Group for this project was the company's successful experience in supplying equipment to similar-scale projects in Mexico, Russia and the United States.

Its price tag of £675 million makes it the most expensive water project ever undertaken in the United Kingdom. It is scheduled for completion in 2015. Once in operation, the pumps will be maintained and serviced by the specialists from British-based KSB Limited.

A consortium of three of the world's leading civil engineering contractors - Morgan Sindall, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and Bachy Soletanche - is working with Thames Water to build the Lee Tunnel.

About KSB in USA
KSB Inc. began operations in the U.S. and Canadian markets in 1974 and has specialized in highly engineered pump products for industrial and utility power plant services, environmental applications, and water and wastewater processing. KSB's 140 years of experience in centrifugal pump development and design ensure that KSB pumps incorporate quality features that provide efficient performance and the highest level of safety. KSB Inc. is ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001 certified. See www.ksbusa.com for more information.

Press Contact

Name: Sherry Heinly

Company: KSB, Inc.

North America Region Marketing Manager

Address: 4415 Sarellen Road

Henrico VA, 23231

Phone: (804) 222-1818

Fax: (804) 226-6961

URL: www.ksbusa.com

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