New 'super pump' for IJmuiden pumping station

Pumping station IJmuiden pumps about 1 billion m3 of water per year and is an indispensable link in the water management of the Western Netherlands. Pentair was commissioned by the Department of Public Works to supply a new super pump. In 2004, the company already supplied two Pentair Fairbanks Nijhuis Pumps for this pumping station, each with a capacity of 50 m3 per second. The new pump is a copy of the previously delivered pumps that even enjoy a listing in the Guinness Book of Records.

Pumping station IJmuiden has six pumps. "Four of these pumps date from 1975; the two newest pumps were produced and installed by us in 2004," said Gerard Scholten, director of Pentair's Winterswijk branch. "One of the old pumps from 1975 is now being replaced by a new pump." The main reason for this replacement operation is the desire to improve the reliability of the pumping station until the planned renovation. Says project manager Jan Willem Eindhoven, "The new pump we are supplying is a copy of the other two super pumps and has a capacity of 50,000 liters per second. The hydraulic design of the pumps from 2004 with permanent magnet motor is still state-of-the-art today. The pumps are infinitely variable within their operating range, allowing them to run more quietly in a wider operating range and with higher efficiency."

Largest capacity in the world

The modern Fairbanks Nijhuis Pumps are even named in the Guinness Book of Records as the pumps with the largest capacity in the world. Jan Willem Eindhoven: "They are really big pumps with impellers four meters in diameter. To illustrate, the pump including motor housing is as high as a three-story building and weighs about 120 tons. With a capacity of 50,000 liters of water per second, you pump out an Olympic-sized swimming pool in 50 seconds." Production of the pump has now started, with an expected delivery date of October 2023. Incidentally, the pumping station holds hardly any secrets for Pentair. SPIE is responsible for the maintenance of the complete pumping station, outsourcing the maintenance of the pumps to Pentair.

Prestigious project

For Pentair, Gemaal IJmuiden is an important reference. "We are proud of the fact that we developed the super pump in Winterswijk and that it is still considered the reference in the market," says Scholten. "The entire project is coordinated from Winterswijk by a team of specialists specially assembled for this project. We will soon do the installation and commissioning of the pump from our service branches in cooperation with SPIE. Still nice that we as an Achterhoek company are allowed to take care of such a prestigious project in Dutch water management." A reference that does not go unnoticed abroad either. "The Netherlands as a water country is a great testing ground for us to gain knowledge and develop new techniques that we can then deploy worldwide. We have already had the opportunity to carry out a number of surface water management projects in Thailand and Singapore, among others, on this basis."