Angus-based engineering firm Allards International Ltd has won a “milestone” £1.3 million deal to supply vital parts for a sewage processing plant in China.
The Arbroath company will design, manufacture, test and deliver jacket pipe heat exchangers for Chinese firm Kubota.
Heat exchangers are major parts of a sewage processing plant, comprising of several stacked units 1.4 meters in diameter and eight metres in length.
They have “pipes within pipes” to allow for fluid heat transfer.
Allards are in charge of the complex project, starting with the technically detailed engineering design done in Arbroath.
The firm will co-ordinating all technological and logistical aspects of the fabrication stages – which will be subcontracted to specialist companies across several countries – before arranging delivering of the equipment to China.
Managing director Olivier Sucquart said: “We were honoured and proud to be awarded this contract for such a massive engineering project.
“We are a small company in Scotland and we are supplying China with specialised equipment designed here and made by manufacturing partners in several other countries including the UK.
“The parts could have been produced in China less expensively but, with our engineering skills, we are bringing something they don’t have.”
Allards, which was established 18 years ago, has six staff.
Previously based at the Castlecroft Business Centre in Dundee, the company moved to Westway Enterprise Centre in Arbroath’s Peasiehill Road at the end of 2017.
Mr Sucquart added: “We have been nurturing our Chinese connections for a few years now, demonstrating to them that we are a serious and experienced company that they can trust.
“That is a milestone for us and it is hopefully the start of things to come.
“This demonstrates to all the big guns that a small company can be successful as well.”
Delivery to China is due to take place in the fourth quarter of this year.
rmclaren@thecourier.co.uk