Laxa II Hydropower Plant - Iceland

The tributary Kráká coming from the highlands of Iceland runs through sandy areas where volcanic sand is blown into the river. The annual amount of sand passing the power station has been estimated to be 10 – 30 thousand tons per year (Ref. Laxá Hydropower Scheme report, Multiconsult 2013, LV2013-112). This sand caused severe abrasion issues.

Ambilu created the solution for the abrasive water in the Laxá pipe by applying an additional elastomeric coating material to Flowtite GRP 4000mm pipe. The coating material was chosen from an extensive development project for high wear resistance pipe liners which has now culminated in Flowtite Orange.

The elastomeric coating chosen has good erosion and abrasion resistance coupled with good mechanical properties including toughness and elongation. The pipes were first prepared for the coating which was applied with spray equipment in one single pass. The preparation of the pipe ensures good adhesion between pipe and coating. The coating was applied at 2 mm thickness and confirmed by non-destructive thickness measurements.