Heat pipeline under the IJmeer

What do you do if you want to use the residual heat from two plants in Diemen to heat the Almere-Poort district, located across the IJmeer? Exactly, you have A.Hak install a heat transport pipeline one and a half meters below the bottom of the lake.

Nuon Energy dared to take on the challenge in 2011, even though a heat transport pipeline of such length had never been laid underwater before.

Steel-in-steel
For heat transport pipelines, a double pipeline is installed: one for supplying hot water and a return line for the cooled water. This project was executed as a steel-in-steel system: an inner pipe of 20″ within a casing pipe of 28″ with insulation material in between. As the main contractor, A.Hak was responsible for the design, supply, and execution of the project. Work was carried out from pontoons in the IJmeer. Especially challenging in windy conditions.

Drilling
Before reaching the other side, two shipping channels were crossed: one for commercial and one for recreational shipping. The project involved 3 HDD drillings, under primary water barriers and the shipping channel.