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VORTEX OBTAINS EXCLUSIVE AGENCY FOR WATERLESS PIPE CLEANING TECHNOLOGY
Apr 3, 2008
Vortex signs agreement with UK based Whirlwind Utilities Ltd. for exclusive use of the WhirlwindTM technology for waterless pipe cleaning
Vortex Pipes Limited (ASX Code: VTX), has obtained an exclusive agreement with UK based Whirlwind Utilities Ltd. for the exclusive use of the WhirlwindTM technology for cleaning pipes in Australia and New Zealand and the Australian resources industry on a global basis.
The patented WhirlwindTM technology was developed by Whirlwind Utilities to clean potable water mains in the United Kingdom, prior to being relined and rehabilitated. It has been successfully deployed in the UK water industry through contractors and directly with water authorities.
Vortex is currently in discussions with water authorities in Western Australia and on the east coast to negotiate deployment of the initial unit and a launch contract. The initial unit is expected to be available in Australia by July and deployed shortly thereafter.
The Whirlwind technology is a unique pipe cleaning system that creates a constant velocity of air flow within the pipe (a "whirlwind") before a controlled feed of aggregate or cutting agent is introduced, to provide a uniform cleaning patter along the pipeline being cleaned. The turbulent nature of the air flow causes the aggregate to be thrown against the pipe wall, impinging and dislodging the undesired matter (such as tubercles, sludge, silt, etc) that has accumulated in the pipe. The air flow then carries the aggregate along the pipeline till it is collected in a receival chamber at the end of the pipe section.
Vortex Managing Director Trevor Gosatti said that obtaining the Whirlwind technology is part of the Company's strategy to offer smart, sustainable solutions to the pipe industry. "The Whirlwind system gives us a competitive edge in providing a solution to clean the thousands of km of pipes in Australia's water reticulation and sewage system. It is more cost efficient than traditional methods and its use of controlled air flows instead of water is particularly attracting interest from eastern based utilities who, in the face of severe water restrictions, are searching for waterless based cleaning systems.
Whirlwind [MD] Richard Christopher said "We are very pleased to have appointed Vortex as our representative in Australia and New Zealand. The system has been deployed with great success in the UK water industry and we are now expanding internationally. We are also pleased to be working with Vortex to apply Whirwind in the resource industry, which is very dependent on large piping systems to transport material for processing and to customers. Our initial testing has demonstrated that Whirlwind can be effectively used across a wide variety of situations in the oil & gas industries, resources processing industries and in the chemical industry."