As demand for renewable energy grows, there will be increased opportunities for constructing biogas plants. Construction expertise is required to design facilities that efficiently convert organic waste into energy and ensure their long-term operational viability.
One of the main challenges is ensuring that facilities meet the rigorous standards required for biogas production. This includes managing the complexities of integrating biogas systems with existing infrastructure and ensuring consistent quality control throughout the construction process.
Victaulic solutions have become synonymous with faster and easier installation that can be implemented across diverse industry applications and can significantly improve efficiency and reduce the total installed cost in the construction of energy plants’ utility lines.
Every energy plant possesses extensive pipework essential to its operation. Whatever the facility – be it biogas or hydrogen production, carbon capture or waste to energy – it needs reliable systems for it to run. The need for high-speed, high-quality piping is critical in an industry that is growing rapidly.
While welding in pipework is seen by many as an industry staple, grooved pipe joining provides a robust solution to welding and flanged alternatives and helps to reduce the pipe joining and maintenance challenges that come with them.
Constructability of piping systems is significantly increased when using Victaulic Installation-Ready™ Technology. This provides a single-unit coupling design, enabling the installer to install couplings by simply inserting them onto the grooved end of a pipe and tightening the nuts. It can be installed in less than half the time of standard grooved couplings, six times faster than flanged joints and 10 times faster than welded joints.
Grooved joints also provide full restraint, eliminating the need for thrust blocks, which can involve extensive digging and concrete, or restraint systems which require complex welding and time-consuming disassembly.
In energy plant construction, as elsewhere, sustainability challenges necessitate innovative approaches, as traditional methods often consume significant energy and may not deliver long-term value.
Victaulic offers a versatile and sustainable solution. A grooved system takes less time to install and, unlike welding, produces zero emissions during installation, with products made from up to 98% recycled content using the cleanest technology.
Grooved systems are fully reconfigurable and reusable, allowing pipes, fittings, and couplings to be disassembled, cleaned, repurposed, or entirely recycled at the end of their lifecycle.
These advantages align with, and extend beyond, net-zero mandates. The Victaulic coupling system requires only two bolts for connections up to 24 inches and four bolts for those up to 60 inches, significantly reducing the number of bolts compared to flanged connections. It results in less waste throughout the process and facilitates easy maintenance and modifications.
If this sounds simple, that’s because it is. Simple but extremely effective. Victaulic is an easy-to-learn system, as opposed to welding, which requires skilled construction professionals. It currently takes four years to train to become a welder, with a significant 20-year industry training gap due to the insufficient influx of newly trained professionals entering the field.
Construction and engineering teams must work closely to design and build energy plants that are not only efficient but also scalable and adaptable. Early engagement in the concept or FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) stage ensures that both teams understand project goals and constraints. Furthermore, the industry must stay informed about advancements in technologies, more efficient processes, and innovations in solutions. Keeping up with these advancements can improve plant efficiency and output.
It is essential to maintain a dialogue with key partners and continue to advocate how the Victaulic sustainable and efficient approach can offer a reduction in energy consumption and waste. In this way, Victaulic can continue to support both environmental goals and long-term operational efficiency for biogas plant projects.
AUTHOR: Victaulic's vice president for the UK energy market, Paul Herman
