This refers to the courage to openly share experiences, learn from one another and try out new approaches. “Anyone who rehabilitates a pipeline using trenchless technology rather than laying a new one is often breaking new ground for their network. That takes courage. Our partners will demonstrate what they can achieve with this at the Partner Days,” noted Werner Rädlinger, Managing Director and owner of Rädlinger Primus Line, in his welcome address.
Tom Sietas, world champion in freediving, kicked off the event with his keynote speech. His core message: under pressure, it is not strength that counts, but regulation. Using heart rate graphs, he demonstrated how the body can be calmed through targeted breathing, and a group breathing exercise in the hall made this immediately apparent. For pipeline renovators, pressure is part of everyday life, whether as operating pressure in the pipe, a tight timeframe or damage that cannot be put off. Speakers and guests kept returning to Sietas’ message time and again over the following two days.
Thousands of kilometres of asbestos-cement pipes are still in use in the drinking water supply, even though the installation of new ones has been banned in the EU since 2005. Timo Jentzsch from the IWW Centre for Water explained why these pipes lose their strength over the years and can burst. In his view, maintenance requirements are set to rise in the coming years.
The Primus Line® system offers a trenchless solution to this problem: in Germany, the system is recognised as a low-emission method (BT 62) in accordance with TRGS 519. Network operators can use it to maintain asbestos-cement pipes without having to dig trenches.
Danphix from Italy demonstrated how this works in practice: Working for a utility company in Veneto, the firm rehabilitated 8.9 kilometres of asbestos cement main pipework running right through vineyards. An above-ground bypass ensured the supply remained uninterrupted throughout, and the riders in the Giro d’Italia cycled right over the route. In total, Danphix has rehabilitated around 35 kilometres of pipework for the operator using Primus Line® over the course of eight years.
Wilson’s Pipeline Solutions from Australia demonstrated that the system works even under time pressure. A few days before Christmas 2025, a drinking water pipeline failed beneath a roundabout on the Gold Coast used by more than 30,000 vehicles every day. After 16 hours of work, the pipe had been repaired and there was no need to close the road. Since then, five further Primus Line® installations have been carried out in emergency situations. In less than eight months, a single call-out had developed into a permanent partnership.
Andreas Gross, Head of Business Unit International Water Projects, highlighted the billions being invested in water infrastructure across Europe, North America and South-East Asia. Rädlinger Primus Line intends to access these markets in collaboration with its partners. This requires a suitable product and the necessary approvals. Dr Björn Bergmann, Head of Research and Development at Rädlinger Primus Line, explained why the company relies on loose-fit liners containing aramid fibres and what the new standards mean for its partners.
In the oil and gas sector, Rädlinger Primus Line is developing into a full-service provider, delivering planning, materials and installation from a single source. Dr Peter Bandelt, Project Engineering Manager for Oil & Gas, illustrated the effort involved: qualification in accordance with the API 15S industry standard took several years; the long-term pressure tests alone lasted up to 10,000 hours – almost 14 months.
Andreas Haindl of RPC-Tec, a Swiss family business with 75 years’ experience in pipe cleaning, added a practical tip: Preparing the host pipe is not a preliminary step, but part of the rehabilitation process.
The second day was devoted to projects:
VP Villy Poulsen rehabilitated a 2,541-metre-long pressurised sewer pipe in one continuous section for a utility company, running beneath lakes and through a nature reserve. The entire installation had to be completed within 27 hours; the pipe was pulled into place in around eight hours.
Altero Travaux Publics laid a 4.5-kilometre-long temporary raw water pipeline through the rainforest to supply a water treatment plant when brine pushes its way up the river during the dry season. Materials and equipment were transported to the construction site by helicopter, boat and barge.
Michal Homola uses Primus Line® as an above-ground bypass and now offers a hire option for other partners and network operators.
A 3,238-metre-long subsea pipeline between two production platforms was rehabilitated in a single operation at a depth of over 200 metres. The US federal agency, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), approved a liner for a subsea pipeline for the first time for this project. Azam Shafiq, Head of Oil & Gas Engineering at Rädlinger Primus Line, summarised: “The liner was never the difficult part; it was everything else surrounding it.”
AMKA Services and Advantage Reline reported on a project beneath the Port of Los Angeles, the first high-pressure installation in the US comprising seven bends in Seattle, and a rehabilitation project in a steep canyon near Salt Lake City at an operating pressure of around 20 bar.
A panel discussion featuring representatives from Veolia, Downley Consultants, Innopipe, AMKA Services and Rädlinger Primus Line examined the factors determining whether open-cut renewal or trenchless rehabilitation is selected in the respective markets, which funding schemes are driving demand, and the role played by critical infrastructure and artificial intelligence.
At three practical demonstration stations, experts from Rädlinger Primus Line demonstrated how to handle the overland reel with swivel unit, as well as the installation of Q-connectors and emergency connectors. The partners took the opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences from their own projects.
In the exhibition area, visitors were able to view connectors, liners and cleaning tools at close quarters, including a sample of the new DN 550 liner.
The get-together on Wednesday evening and the dinner on Thursday provided opportunities for informal discussions outside the regular programme.
Andreas Gross sums it up: “Knowledge becomes more valuable when you share it. For example, looking at a connector in a catalogue is quite different from holding it in your hand and discussing your own challenges directly. Many thanks to our partners and speakers for their openness, the fascinating insights and the international exchange.”
The insights gained at the Partner Days are being incorporated into products, training programmes and collaboration with the partners. Among other things, a permanent exhibition on connection technology is being set up at the company’s German sites, where partners can discuss solutions for their projects.
„We have learnt a lot about Primus Line® from the partners and experts, and we look forward to further strengthening our collaboration.“
Kazuaki Kiriyama | Nippon Steel
„It was very informative, and I was particularly pleased to meet you in person.“
Andréas Zaugg | KFS Service de Canalisation
„We learnt a tremendous amount and thoroughly enjoyed the event. It was superbly organised, with a delightful atmosphere throughout – hats off to the whole team!“
Peter Verstokt | Gravo
overland reel, Q-connector, emergency connector
Australia, Europe, North and South America
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