15/10/2026
Giant pumps, major infrastructure and Vesconite bearings in Iraq. In the early 2000s, three huge APE Pumps clean water pumps fitted with Vesconite lineshaft bearings were supplied to Iraq as part of an infrastructure rehabilitation programme.
SACEEC CEO and former APE Pumps MD Eric Bruggeman shares the story behind this landmark application.
The water pumps were supplied to Iraq as part of a major infrastructure rehabilitation programme under the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme and were manufactured by South African pump specialist APE Pumps for a large municipal clean water supply scheme in Iraq, says Bruggeman.
He notes that two of the pumps were to be installed while a third was supplied as a standby unit to ensure uninterrupted operation of the large clean water pumping station.
The scale of the project reflected the importance of restoring reliable potable water supplies during the extensive rebuilding programme that took place in Iraq in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Each of the three pumps was driven by a 1.5 MW General Electric motor, placing the installation among the largest water pumping systems undertaken by the South African manufacturer at the time. The pumps were of such considerable size that they could not be assembled in APE Pumps’ standard production facilities. Instead, parts were transported to a dedicated heavy assembly bay at another engineering company in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, where overhead cranes were used to complete the assembly before shipment.
The Vesconite lineshaft bearings supplied for the project were equally impressive in scale. They were installed on shafts measuring approximately 350 mm in diameter, while individual bearing lengths ranged from around half a metre to one metre. These dimensions made them among the largest Vesconite bearings produced for a clean water pumping application.
APE Pumps also supplied bearings as spares for the pumps.
Vesconite bearing materials have long been recognised as suitable for vertical turbine pumps because they combine low friction, dimensional stability and excellent wear resistance. The materials are particularly well suited to water applications where reliable operation and long service life are essential.
The Iraq installation formed part of the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme, which invested heavily in rebuilding the country’s water and sanitation infrastructure following years of deterioration. The programme funded the rehabilitation and construction of potable water treatment plants, pumping stations, chlorination facilities, sewage treatment plants and irrigation pumping infrastructure across the country.
According to United Nations assessments completed in 2002, pumps were among the principal items procured for the rehabilitation of Iraq’s water infrastructure. The assessments concluded that these investments had significantly improved water treatment performance and helped restore access to clean water in many parts of the country.
The successful supply of the large pumping units demonstrated the capability of South African engineering companies to deliver complex, heavy-duty equipment for international infrastructure projects. It also highlighted Vesconite’s suitability for demanding large-scale pumping applications, where dependable bearing performance contributed to the reliable operation of critical water supply systems.
Although more than two decades have passed since the project was completed, the installation remains a notable example of Vesconite’s use in major municipal water infrastructure. The combination of exceptionally large pump assemblies, powerful 1.5 MW drive motors and large lineshaft bearings illustrated the scale of engineering involved in restoring essential water services to Iraq during one of the country’s largest internationally supported infrastructure rehabilitation programmes.
