Powered by Courage: Partner Days 2026 bring together practical experience from four continents
70 guests from 30 countries, two days of conferences, 16 presentations and three practical demonstration stations: at the end of September 2026, partners, network operators and experts gathered for the Primus Line Partner Days at the Coreum near Frankfurt in Germany. The host, Rädlinger Primus Line – manufacturer of Primus Line® technology for the trenchless rehabilitation of pressure pipelines and freely laid pipelines – had chosen the motto ‘Powered by Courage’.
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.
Pressure as a theme – regulation rather than force
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. 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.
Maintaining asbestos cement pipes before they fail
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 anticipates a growing need for maintenance, as these pipes lose strength over the years and can burst. Primus Line® is recognised in Germany as a low-emission process (BT 62) in accordance with TRGS 519. In Italy, Danphix has rehabilitated around 35 kilometres of pipework for an operator; most recently, the company maintained 8.9 kilometres of asbestos cement main pipework running through vineyards. An above-ground bypass ensured the water supply remained uninterrupted.
When speed is of the essence
Wilsons Pipeline Solutions from Australia reported an emergency on the Gold Coast: a few days before Christmas 2025, a drinking water pipeline beneath a roundabout with more than 30,000 vehicles passing through daily failed. It was rehabilitated after 16 working hours, without any road closures. This was followed by five further installations of Primus Line® in emergency situations. That first job led to a permanent partnership in less than eight months.
Markets, Products, Qualification
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. 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.
Real-world projects
The second day was devoted to projects:
· California (USA): 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.
· French Guiana: A 4.5-kilometre-long temporary raw water pipeline was constructed in the rainforest; materials and equipment were delivered by helicopter, boat and barge.
· Denmark: A pressurised sewage pipeline was rehabilitated in a single continuous section spanning 2,541 metres, passing under lakes and through a nature reserve. The installation had to be completed within 27 hours.
· USA: The projects ranged from a run beneath the Port of Los Angeles to the country’s first high-pressure installation featuring seven bends in Seattle.
At three practical demonstration stations, experts from Rädlinger Primus Line demonstrated how to handle the overland reel with a swivel unit, as well as the installation of Q-connectors and emergency connectors. The get-together on Wednesday evening and the dinner on Thursday provided opportunities for informal discussions outside the regular programme.
Sharing knowledge, strengthening the network
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. That is exactly what our Partner Days have demonstrated once again.” 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.
[Separate box] Partner Days 2026 in figures
· 70 guests from 30 countries
· 2 days of conferences, 16 presentations
· 3 hands-on stations: overland reel, Q-connector, emergency connector
· Partner projects from 4 continents: Australia, Europe, North and South America