Mon, 01/27/2014 - 15:18

SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland (Jan. 27, 2014) – Xylem Inc. played a key role in a recovery mission to stabilize a large cargo ship carrying 150,000 tons of coal that ran aground off the coast of South Africa. Xylem’s Flygt 2600 series pumps removed water from the ship and helped to stabilize it so that none of the 1,830 tons of heavy fuel oil onboard leaked into the sea or endangered the local environment. Heavy swells, some reaching 10 meters high, outside the Port of Richard’s Bay on the Kwazulu-Natal coast, caused the 230-meter-long Panamanian MV smart vessel to break in half and become partly submerged. All 23 crew members were airlifted to safety. Five of Xylem’s Flygt 2640 5.6-kilowatt pumps and one Flygt 2670 18-kilowatt model were used to keep the ship stable and remove water as technicians worked to unload the cargo of coal and fuel oil. The pumps also assisted in preventing further flood damage to unaffected areas of the ship. Shaun Hattingh, SAMCO Pumps, Xylem’s Kwazulu-Natal distributor said, “The operation went extremely well. Xylem’s Flygt pumps are designed in such a way that makes them ideal for use in confined spaces such as ships. Speed was of the essence in order to minimize the damage to sea life and recover the ship, and the Flygt pumps worked efficiently to get the job done.” Flygt 2600 pumps can handle flows of up to 100 liters per second (1500 gallons per minute), heads to 90 meters (300 feet). Available with power ratings from 0.85 to 18 kilowatt, 50 Hz, these drainage pumps are engineered for professional use in tough mining, construction, tunneling and industrial dewatering applications. Xylem is a global water technology provider, enabling customers to transport, treat, test and efficiently use water in public utility, residential and commercial building services, industrial and agricultural settings. The company does business in more than 150 countries through a number of product brands. Xylem is headquartered in Rye Brook, N.Y., with 2012 annual revenues of $3.8 billion and approximately 12,900 employees worldwide. Xylem was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the last two years for advancing sustainable business practices and solutions worldwide.