Saudi Giant Al-Watania Selects SmartPro
SAUDI ARABIA - Al Watania Poultry, the largest poultry producer in the Middle East, has commissioned Pas Reform to supply SmartPro™ single stage incubation, climate control and hatchery automation systems for a state-of-the-art new turnkey hatchery development at Buraydah, Qassim Province, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Following an extensive tendering process, Sheikh Sulaiman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi congratulated Pas Reform on winning the flagship contract to develop the 100-million day-old chick hatchery, which will see the Dutch company working in partnership with specialist Portuguese steel construction company, Systeel.
The new hatchery is to be fully operational within 12 months and forms a pivotal project in Al Watania’s ambitious plans to increase annual broiler production from 850,000 to 1.1 million broilers a day.
Pas Reform will project manage the development of the fully integrated and automated new facility, which will include 54 SmartSetPro™-6 setters and 72 SmartHatchPro™ hatchers, incorporating Advanced Adaptive Metabolic Feedback (AMF™), Energy Saving Module (ESM™) and SmartWatch™ for fully optimised chick uniformity and Pas Reform’s latest innovation, SmartCount™, which uses advanced vision technology to count, separate and box the day old chicks.
An extensive, fully integrated climate control system will include air handling, distribution and humidification, together with the heating and cooling capacity to deliver substantial energy savings in every area of the hatchery’s operation.
The new installation will be fully automated, from transferring 150,000 eggs per hour into setter trolleys, to candling, handling, stacking and destacking, vaccination, waste handling and the washing of boxes and trays, to support the highest levels of efficiency and biosecurity. Pas Reform Academy will also deliver a programme of hatchery management training for Al Watania’s personnel.
Regional sales director for the Middle East, Asad Yaseen, joined Pas Reform at the end of 2013.
He said: “Al Watania represents the very highest standards for poultry production in the Middle East. They are exact in their requirements and have a very clear vision of the future.
“Pas Reform’s reputation for quality and innovation, together with our genuine ability to project manage for delivery in a 12-month time-frame have been critical factors in winning this project. It will be a privilege to play a part in Al Watania’s plans for the future.”
Michael Kampschöer, Pas Reform’s sales director, added: “The Middle East is an area of huge significance strategically for Pas Reform and a project of this importance represents a major step forward for our company in this region.”