Sundrop Farms 20Ha Greenhouse Project

In the unforgiving South Australian outback, a business is only as innovative as the operating infrastructure it relies upon. Sundrop Farm’s capability allows them to grow high-value crops in barren areas using seawater and sunlight.

When it came time to design and construct a parallel trench for the delivery of desalinated water for Sundrop’s inventive saltwater irrigation system, we knew we were up for an exciting challenge.

Clover’s Superlit GRP pipe system was selected by the Sundrop Farms team due to its proven ability to transport salt water without the risk of corrosion. This was a key selection criteria for the project.

Sundrop apply a revolutionary approach to agriculture. The facility grows 15 million kilograms of tomatoes each year using desalinated water and solar-thermal technology from abundant renewable resources.

As a result, their infrastructure needs to handle high volumes of salt water over extended periods of time.

The GRP aligns with the innovative methodology and perfectly accommodates Sundrop’s specific operational requirements. The pipeline sources sea water from the Spencer Gulf in South Australia and delivers it to a state-of-the-art 20 hectare greenhouse facility in Port Augusta.

The team demanded a solution with long life span and a system that was fast and easy to install, with no requirement for site welding. The GRP handles the hot and dry environment exceptionally well and the pipes superior green credentials were an important factor for a business with a focus on sustainability.

Solution highlights

• Planning, source and supply of GRP pipe, fittings and accessories.
• The team consulted with relevant stakeholders through project planning and construction phases, including detailed examination of parallel trench design and installation training from our in-house engineering team.
• Total project cost $175 million.

To continue in the spirit of innovation, the Sundrop solution featured a mixture of both buried and above ground pipelines to maximise operational efficiency in the challenging site conditions.

Thanks to our Superlit GRP and Sundrop’s inspired approach to farming infrastructure, the team now saves 700 million litres of freshwater and 14,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. Everyone at Clover is proud to have worked with a pioneering business to develop such a unique and groundbreaking solution.