Aliaxis recently introduced Protecta-Line to the Melbourne Water Authority in Australia, where former industrial sites at the city’s port are being used to develop new commercial and residential building hubs. Bringing this product to Australia proved to be a valuable opportunity to elevate specific local knowledge from the UK to benefit customers in another part of the world.
Protecta-Line is Aliaxis’ original barrier pipe system with a tough multi-layer construction that ensures contaminants from former industrial land cannot permeate into the water supply. Aliaxis recently introduced Protecta-Line to the Melbourne Water Authority in Australia, where former industrial sites at the city’s port are being used to develop new commercial and residential building hubs. Bringing this product to Australia proved to be a valuable opportunity to elevate specific local knowledge from the UK to benefit customers in another part of the world.
In search of the perfect solution
As old industrial sites in Australia are rezoned into commercial and residential land, there is a significant issue with soil contamination. This has led customers on a search for a safe, cost-effective and easy-to-install solution to transport drinking water from the source to new residential and commercial buildings.
“After looking for a solution for customers outside of Australia, I came across Protecta-Line, an innovative PE based barrier pipe system manufactured in the UK and used specifically in former brownfield and industrial sites,” says Vinidex Technical Sales Engineer Joe Barresi. “Upon further investigation, it became clear that Protecta-Line was part of the Aliaxis range, with a proven 25-year history in the UK. Cross-fertilisation seemed like the next logical step.”
Introducing Protecta-Line to the Australian market
In addition to being impervious to contaminants, Protecta-Line offers all the cost and installation advantages PE pipes traditionally have over their metallic counterparts. It was exactly what the Australian market needed and the Vinidex team was eager to bring it over.
Together with Aliaxis UK’s Head of Business Development Alain Rondeau, Joe presented the solution to the Melbourne Water Authority, which was enthusiastic to trial Protecta-Line in Australia, granting it interim approval in May 2020.
“Not long after being granted approval, we began working with Winslow Group, a contractor pursuing a tender to convert a Port Melbourne site into a commercial business area,” says Vinidex Infrastructure Sales Lead Frank Ibrahim. “The ground at the development site was heavily contaminated and the Protecta-Line solution seemed to tick all the boxes as an effective and low-cost solution.”
By November 2020, the customer installed a 400-metre-long DN180 Protecta-Line pipeline, noting that the installation process went as smoothly as regular PE piping. “It was a first for Australia and effectively opened the door to a market we previously couldn’t supply,” says Joe.
“Beyond being an Aussie first, this collaboration represents the first time Protecta-Line has been exported outside of Europe,” Alain points out. “This system is one of the best examples of Aliaxis cross-fertilisation between our European and Australian counterparts and demonstrates how bringing a group perspective to local implementation is a win we can share with customers around the world.”
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