Cover Story
A. K. Velan visiting an oil refinery in the Middle East in 1956. He is pointing out that one Velan Piping King could replace their whole installation.
Velan Gulf Manufacturing Company celebrates first order booking at new plant in Dammam, Saudi Arabia earlier this year. terms of this economy” and an industry where they continue to advance their products and technology. In October 2025, Velan was awarded a CAD $ 20 million valve order from Ontario Power Generation’ s Pickering Nuclear Generation Station, the very same facility for which they supplied the original valves under A. K.’ s leadership approximately 40 years ago. The order includes supplying Emergency Cooling Injection( ECI) valves for three reactors currently undergoing refurbishment. Earlier this year, Velan unveiled its 78-inch( NPS 78) Torqseal ® Triple Offset Butterfly Valve, the largest launch by the company to date. The valve was built to ANSI / AWWA C207 Class B standards for a condenser water piping system shutoff valve. The project was to replace a rubber-seated double-offset butterfly valve with the company’ s advanced triple-offset design. As a result, the valve solved multiple performance issues for the end user.“ We continue to innovate,” said Mannebach.“ This is a massive valve with a tight tolerance without leakage. Time and time
again, operations meet and surpass our expectations with this kind of project.”
Fugitive emissions initiatives
As Velan’ s past and present product portfolio has proven, the company stays attuned to relevant valve systems and designs across a variety of industries while adhering to strict standards, regulations, and compliance requirements. The company confronts fugitive emissions directly by delivering solutions that minimize impact and ensure compliance across many applications.“ We started our fugitive emissions research program over 40 years ago,” said Velan.“ Our first emissions guarantee greatly exceeded industry standards, but we’ ve seen industry and customer requirements become more stringent over time.” Velan regularly updates its products to offer the best field performance. Recognizing that the primary cause of fugitive emissions is commonly through the valve packing seal, Velan introduced new Field Injection Ports( FIP) to the bonnet of API 602 Small
Forged Gate and Globe valves. This practical improvement allowed for quicker and more cost-effective field repairs when needed. The“ first-to-market solution and patentpending FIP valve design” assists and reduces risks for end users if or when a leak is detected through the LDAR fugitive emissions compliance program. The valve’ s pre-drilled and tapped bonnet minimizes the risk of drilling through the packing chamber while maintaining valve wall thickness code compliance, greatly improving in-line valve repairs.“ To our delight, this design has been included in several EPA consent decrees,” said Mannebach.“ That these initiatives have caught the interest of groups like the EPA in the U. S., speaks volumes to the relevance of our technical innovation. This ties back to the foundational cornerstone of Velan by creating relevant technology, driving efficiency in operations, and responding to customer requirements.” Both Velan and Mannebach emphasized that the company continually invests in developing high-performance valves and packing systems to prevent leaks and crosscontamination between media streams. The effort aligns with delivering the most reliable, efficient, and sustainable valve solutions on the market. Velan’ s dedication to complying with industry standards is reflected in the efforts of its highly qualified engineering team. They actively collaborate with API and ISO to develop and refine new standards that benefit the entire valve industry and end users.“ This is the place that gets our engineers and team so focused on how we can have an impact while we continue to make solid investments and progress,” said Velan.
The relationship with Newport News Shipbuilding and the U. S. Navy goes back to the 1950s. Velan supplied a shipset of valves for the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in more recent years. Velan maintains a strong backlog for the Navy.
Dedication to digital advancements
Innovation within its product portfolio extends to Velan Digital Solutions,
10 Valve World December 2025 www. valve-world. net