District cooling in the heart of Ideon Science Park

In late autumn 2024, an extensive project is underway in the Ideon Science Park area in Lund, where Peab will lay 2,250 metres of pressure pipes for district cooling. Ideon is one of Sweden’s most prominent innovation clusters and a hub for technology, research and entrepreneurship. Located in close proximity to Lund University’s Faculty of Engineering (LTH), the area attracts many high-tech companies in IT, telecommunications and biotechnology.

An important piece of the puzzle in this project is the pipe delivery from Hallingplast, whose products will be used to secure future cooling to companies and institutions in the area. Jointing the pipes is carried out by butt welding in a specially adapted welding container, a method that ensures tight and durable joints.

Facts
Project: District cooling, Ideon Science Park
Contractor: Peab
Pipe supplier: Hallingplast AB
Wholesaler: AO

Delivery
Pressure pipes for district cooling
416 metres dimension ø 630 SDR 11
1808 metres dimension ø 500 SDR 11
Pipe length 16 metres

Higher requirements for better results

“Before the work could begin, we had to decide which welding standard we would use, as there are two different ones – Insta-Cert and DVS,” explains Marcus Lindstedt, who is responsible for the project’s welding operations.

The instructions in SS INSTA 2072 differ from DVS in three main points:

• Heating time: The pipes should be heated for a longer period of time.
• Cooling time: Longer time to cool down the finished joints.
• SS INSTA 2072: Verified down to - 10°C (DVS verified to + 5°C).

“I appreciate that the client places high demands – it provides the best conditions for high-quality joints,” says Marcus.

Ovality – a challenge

Another important factor is that the pipes to be joined must have minimal ovality. The standard allows up to 3.5% ovality for pipes in larger dimensions, but Marcus believes that in practice this is too high, as this is still quite a lot, even when measured in millimetres.
“At best, you can turn the pipes to make them fit better, but that’s not always possible, especially when pipe parts are already installed,” he explains.
Hallingplast places significantly higher demands on ovality than the standard prescribes as we tolerate a maximum of 1.5%. Through a combination of high demands on both pipes and joints as well as the professional skills of the person performing the work, the foundation is laid for a pipe system with maximum service life.