Awards and recognition

Aquaduct has received major national industry awards. The re-locatable pipe factory was a world first, and combined with several other ground breaking developments saw recognition for innovation in irrigation and excellence in plastics manufacturing.

Innovation Award April 8th 2014!

"Aquaduct NZ and its entrepreneurial founder Gerard van den Bosch took out the highly- sought-after 2014 IrrigationNZ Innovation Award at its biennial conference in Napier last night"

"Aquaduct’s entry (alongside associate company Bosch Irrigation Ltd) included its ground-breaking solution for the manufacture of irrigation pipe for Valetta Irrigation Scheme’s new 84km underground pipe network.

A factory to produce pipe on-site was created in a paddock within the scheme’s boundaries slashing welding requirements by 80% and reducing installation time and costs. The company supplied over 80km of pipe in sizes from 1.6m diameter to 200mm - in lengths up to 250 metres. The factory is New Zealand’s largest capacity plant pumping out 5800 tonnes of pipe in 60 days.

Other innovative aspects of Aquaduct’s involvement with Valetta included machinery designed and adapted specifically for the Canterbury Plain’s unique cobblestone conditions and vibrating technology which perfectly bedded the irrigation scheme’s pipe network greatly increasing its longevity.

Mr van den Bosch said the future of sustainable world development would rely on clean water and energy and Valetta’s piped gravity-fed irrigation scheme created and delivered efficient use of both.

“The main driver for the Valetta project was the desire to eliminate water loss and allow 37% more land to be irrigated from same quantity of water. The use of gravity to reduce pumping and save the farmers huge production costs was also a strong motivation. The lost economic potential from the open channels was an irresistible challenge and meeting the challenges required multifaceted innovations and efficiencies,” says Mr van den Bosch.

The judging panel of former IrrigationNZ CEO Terry Heiler, Magdy Mohssen, Andy McFarlane and Tony Devries said while the top four finalists were all of very high quality, Aquaduct’s win was a clear result based on its potential for large scale adoption with significant efficiency gains and a long life span.

IrrigationNZ CEO Andrew Curtis says Aquaduct deserved national recognition for setting the bar high for other irrigation schemes.

“The newly piped scheme provides better water allocation through the gravity-fed pressurised pumps which improves water efficiency and the amount of land that can be irrigated in this part of Mid Canterbury. What Aquaduct and Mr van den Bosch achieved was literally a world-first manufacturing pipe on-site. Their contributions to reduce the environmental footprint of the scheme can’t be overlooked either,” says Mr Curtis.

New Zealand Plastics Joint Supreme Award Winners 2012

"Aquaduct New Zealand Ltd were Joint Supreme winners with their Aquaduct Innovative System."
Quote from Plastics New Zealand

Large bore HDPE pipes are extruded up to 1600mm diameter and up to 300metres in length on site in a transportable factory, up to 120 tonnes per day; transported on dollies; welded with a high interphase pressure technique ensuring a secure weld and faster welding times in comparison to traditional methods. A 65 tonne trencher adapted with a stone separator creates perfect pipe padding material; a hydraulic vibrating plate is used causing soil to distribute evenly allowing little deflection.

The result of these innovations has produced savings on transportation, pipe welding and installation, providing an economically and environmentally superior product system. This system has IP that is NZ owned, design/innovation is crucial, great export potential and supports other industries to prosper."

Manufacture of large bore HDPE pipes onsite

Aquaduct 2020 Ltd

Address

P O Box 17,
Amberley, NZ 7441

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