UK-based Amarinth, which specialises in the design, application and manufacture of centrifugal pumps and associated equipment to the oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, industrial and power markets, has supplied the UK Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing facility with fully interchangeable pumps to replace the Girdlestone units commissioned at the Sellafield site some 25 years ago. These are coming to the end of their natural working life and direct replacement units are no longer available. For one pump, used to transfer nitric acid in a controlled area of the process control facility, Sellafield engineers decided that a replacement was required to maintain operations. However, they needed a solution that did not require any modification to pipework and fittings, and all within 20 weeks.
Amarinth has been providing direct replacement pumps for the now obsolete Girdlestone range for over a decade, along with a range of spares, re-engineered and replacement parts. Sellafield therefore asked Amarinth for a dimensionally and hydraulically interchangeable pump to replace the Girdlestone 912 self-priming pump. Amarinth provided a bespoke version of one of its existing designs within the required timescales. Although the selected pump was already dimensionally interchangeable, Amarinth redesigned the pump casing and impeller to ensure an exact match. The new fully interchangeable pump was designed, manufactured, tested and supplied within 20 weeks. The new pump will deliver another 25-year working life for Sellafield along with support and supply of spare and replacement parts directly from Amarinth.
