Ashgabat in Turkmenistan is set to host the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts games in 2017. The games will be held in a new sports facility, currently under construction. With thousands of competitors and visitors expected for the games, ensuring water requirements were met was a top priority for the facility designers.
Construction teams are working hard to meet the fast approaching deadline of this project. Totaling over 1,466,400 square meters, the multi-purpose sports facility, comprising 30 venues, is positioned at the heart of Turkmenistan’s largest city – Ashgabat. Bordered in the west by the Caspian Sea, 80 percent of Turkmenistan is covered by the Kara-Kum Desert, making water a highly sought after resource.
Water for showering, drinking and sanitation
Lead construction firm Polimeks and subcontractor ILPA, both based in Turkey, were primarily responsible for providing water to the facility. This included the safe provision of potable drinking water, sanitary water for cleaning and showering, and reliable sewage treatment and pumping solutions.
“Much of our experience in the construction field is focused in the Middle East and Central Asia, so we have a deep understanding of the demands on buildings and infrastructure in these areas,” says Levent Topel, Managing Director at ILPA. “Our positive reputation with previous projects, alongside Polimeks Construction, helped us in the procurement stages and is the same reason why we selected Lowara products for this sports complex.”
Lowara pumps used for a number of applications
Xylem’s Lowara and Lowara Vogel Series products were used in several commercial applications throughout the site. From a 450 bed capacity hotel to the 15,000 spectator arena, the project’s water requirements were extensive. In total, more than 1,000 Lowara pump systems serve the complex, including e-SV stainless steel vertical multi-stage pumps and HYDROVAR®variable speed pump controllers.
Xylem met key service, price and quality needs through ILPA A.S., the company’s local distributor. With several Lowara system solutions already installed in 2014, which had delivered on expectations, the brand was the natural choice moving forward to the second stage.
Of the Lowara systems in place, one of the primary products specified for the sports center was the e-NSC cast iron end suction pump, of which there are 68 throughout the site. Part of Xylem’s new Lowara e-series, the heavy duty and highly efficient e-NSC pump will improve overall system performance and reduce operational costs. The pump is available in cast and ductile iron, as well as stainless and duplex steel, and comes in six sizes ranging from DN32 to DN300, making it adaptable to the varying needs of the games complex.
Pumps designed to save energy
When combined with the HYDROVAR variable speed drive, end users can achieve even greater energy savings. The HYDROVAR has advanced programming to control the pumps so that they always operate at efficient levels. It also communicates with other HYDROVAR controllers and with the building’s monitoring systems, using standard protocols so they can understand each other.
All products specified were noted for their energy efficiency standards. Over 200 Xylem DIWA submersible pumps for dirty water were installed, for example, which offer maximum resistance to abrasion as they are manufactured using AISI 304 stainless steel. The DIWA range is designed so that the motor can be easily cooled by the pumped liquid – maintaining efficiency and an operational capacity in all buildings. The pump also comes with thermal protection to maintain the system in the event of overheating. Xylem also supplied 60 sewage and wastewater lifting station packages.
Constructing a mini city
Pietro Moro, Building and Industry Sales Director for MENA at Xylem, said: “What is particularly interesting about this multi-purpose sports facility development, is the fact that the site is essentially a mini city, but with the construction of it happening in a short amount of time. It’s an incredible project to be part of and demonstrates the depth and breadth of our expertise and capacity to find solutions to complex applications.”
Deniz Atabey, Sales Executive at ILPA, concluded: “Xylem was shortlisted and selected due to its innovative, high-quality and dependable products that we knew could handle the diverse system requirements of this project. Their service is professional and their support in the pump selection process was invaluable. Xylem has gained our trust not only by working closely with us during pump selection, but also by offering competitive prices for reliable pumps and systems. As a result, we are confident that the water needs of the Ashgabat 2017 games park will be met and surpassed.”
For more information, visit www.lowara.com