Amiantit joint venture in India achieves double world record for production and sales

Reliance is licensed to install fuel tanks in 5,800 gas stations in India over the next five years.

In addition, AFIPL has been awarded the contract by Dutch oil major, the Shell Group, to supply Double Wall GRP underground fuel storage tanks for Shell India and the first deliveries were made in August. Shell India has a license to 2,000 retail outlets over the next five years.

The technology to produce GRP double wall tanks was developed in Saudi Arabia by Amiantit Fiberglass Industries Ltd. (AFIL), an Amiantit Group company, which earlier this year became the first manufacturer in the Middle East to develop and put into production non-corrosive double wall tanks made from reinforced fiberglass using an automated process.

Amiantit has a 70% stake in the Indian joint venture , which was set up for the manufacture of GRP pipes and tanks under the Amiantit-owned Flowtite™ brand name and technology. Commissioned in December 2003, the modern manufacturing facilty is located a Navelin, Bicholim, Goa, on land measuring 260,000 square meters with a built up area of more than 20,000 square meters.

Amiantit India has the distinction of being the world's largest supplier of GRP tanks and offers the entire range of storage solutions required by the industry. In addition to supplying underground and aboveground storage tanks, AFIPL's facility at Goa manufactures and markets a variety of GRP pipe and fittings products under Amiantit's Flowtite™ brand name and technology. All AFIPL's products conform to the highest international standards. The Goa plant is presently servicing an order for GRP pipes from L&T Construction Company, one of the biggest construction companies in India, for a project in the Tirupur area.

Flowtite™ pipes and fittings are used globally in pressure / gravity systems, for raw water pumping mains, drinking water supply pipelines, sewerage force mains, pipelines in waste water treatment plants, slip lining / re-lining for rehabilitation of networks, pipelines in desalination plants, pipelines in penstocks and power plants, fire hydrant lines, sub-aqueous applications, and many industrial applications.

The advantages of Amiantit Flowtite™ GRP products are that they are strong, durable and corrosion resistant - therefore eliminating leaks and failures - and there is no need for periodic corrosion survey and cathodic protection as is required for steel pipes and tanks. They are also economical in terms of installation and lower power and life cycle costs.

Amiantit Group, with a group sales turn over exceeding US$ 400 million, is the largest manufacturer of GRP pipes and tanks in the world. It is also a leading manufacturer of epoxy pipes, ductile Iron pipes, concrete cylinder pipes, pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipes, reinforced concrete pipes, cement mortar lining of steel pipes, polymer concrete pipes and thermoplastic pipes.