Bredel Hose Pump Solves Ash Slurry Problem at Biomass Plant
Fluids Handling

Bredel Hose Pump Solves Ash Slurry Problem at Biomass Plant

Photo of Phil Black - PII Editor Phil Black - PII Editor Follow on X Send an email 11/07/2025
335 2 minutes read
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A Bredel 100 hose pump with an NR Transfer hose has been installed at a biomass power station in Pécs, Hungary, successfully transferring slag wastewater and ash slurry as part of the renewable energy generation process.

Pumping abrasive slurries is notoriously challenging, especially for pumps lacking the ability to run dry or self-prime. One large water, energy and waste management company learned of this issue when two centrifugal pumps at the biomass power plant constantly failed. Every time the pumps ran dry, they internally were damaged, resulting in costly replacement parts and unscheduled downtime.

Straw and firewood rubbish donated by local farmers, sawmill operators and foresters fuel the biomass boilers at the factory, and ash is their by-product. During regular maintenance, water jets under high pressure scour the ash out beneath the boilers, creating a thick slurry of metal scrap, gravel, sludge, soot and water. The abrasive slurry settles in a pit and must be pumped out for disposal.

But the centrifugal pumps were not capable of transferring the slurry reliably. They could not be self-primed or operate dry, and after they had been shut down, a slag build-up could not be turned back around without further damage. These issues caused many shutdowns, inducing interrupted processes and ballooning maintenance costs.

The plant required a reliable and solid solution for conveying high-solids, abrasive slurry in its maintenance work with immediate urgency.

The firm reacted by running trials with a Bredel 100 hose pump from Watson–Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS). As the Bredel hose pump was not centrifugal, it easily handled solid particles up to 2–3 cm in size – something the original pumps couldn't handle.

Since 2024, the Bredel hose pump has been run twice yearly for 5 to 7 days at a stretch to transfer solid-laden slag wastewater and ash slurry – 50% solids – from beneath the biomass boiler. The Bredel pump's ability to dry run has allowed for high solids handling and low maintenance running, which has brought a significant performance improvement.

Bredel hose pumps are particularly for high-demand applications like abrasive and viscous media. They can pump slurries up to 80% of solids in suspension, so they are a great fit for high-wear applications like biomass energy production.

Bredel 100 hose pump

Ferenc Andri, Sales Engineer at WMFTS Hungary, had this to say:

“The Bredel peristaltic pump replaced centrifugal pumps for a more reliable and low-maintenance operation in pumping the biomass ash waste slurry. The Bredel hose pump efficiently handles the high-density slurries with hard particles with minimal wear and tear in a challenging environment which is what the customer was looking for after the previously used pumps needed repairing every time they were used to pump the slag wastewater. We provided a solution for the company to quickly try out and no other pump could handle this sort of material.”

With the changeover to a Bredel 100 hose pump, the Pécs biomass power plant has greater operation stability and reduced downtime.

The plant is powered by two steam turbines, which through biomass combustion convert water into high-pressure steam to generate electricity. Collected ash is re-cycled as a fertiliser, promoting circular economy goals.

Apart from its reliability benefits, the Bredel pump also supports the plant's wider sustainability agenda. The green power station heats over 30,000 homes and 450 public buildings and saves around 150,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

Find out more about Watson Marlow here

Watson Marlow
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Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions

About us

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.

We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.

The only part of the pump to come into contact with the product is the tube or hose. This means there are no seals or valves that can wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose can be performed quickly and safely. Peristaltic pump benefits include:

Total fluid containment with no seals No ancillaries Handle viscous and abrasive slurries and sludge Self-priming capability Dry running without damage to the pump In addition to their range of positive displacement pumps, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group has added PTFE-lined chemical and industrial hoses to their range. Aflex hoses are reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions and use.

Where we supply to

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America

Industries we supply to

Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater

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Photo of Phil Black - PII Editor Phil Black - PII Editor Follow on X Send an email 11/07/2025
335 2 minutes read
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    Photo of Phil Black - PII Editor

    Phil Black - PII Editor

    I'm the Editor here at Process Industry Informer, where I have worked for the past 17 years. Please feel free to join in with the conversation, or register for our weekly E-newsletter and bi-monthly magazine here: https://www.processindustryinformer.com/magazine-registration. I look forward to hearing from you!
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