News
Celebrating three years of Nivalis
On a dark November day in 2021, not quite out of the turmoil of Covid, a bright new business was born.
Today marks three years since the official start of Nivalis - the pioneers of Ice Pigging.
Bringing together a team of experts, many of whom were part of the innovative team at Bristol University who developed Ice Pigging as a technology, Nivalis burst onto the pipe cleaning scene.

Share:
Posted on: 1st Nov 2024

“It was a tricky time to launch a business”, explains Commercial Director Sean Ashton. “As we all remember, 2020 was a tough year for everyone and the ongoing implications of Covid continued well into 2021 and beyond.”
“But we were very excited to be launching Nivalis. Our highly experienced team have over 50 combined years of experience working with customers in a range of industrial and municipal applications across the globe so we knew we had the knowledge and skills to make something special. Our customers are our focus and we have been fortunate enough to meet some great people in the last three years. We must also say a big thank you to our suppliers!”
Engineering Director, Martin Herbert, has seen Ice Pigging transform since is conception:
“Having been part of the research team who developed the original Ice Pigging concept at Bristol University, it has been incredible to watch the technology develop over the years. As a small team of engineers we pride ourselves on keeping abreast of new developments in the industries which we work in, and over just three years we have worked with a range of clients to adapt and improve Ice Pigging in real life settings.”
From Ice Pigging water mains in the winter months in Estonia, to cleaning industrial pipes at cosmetics and pharmaceutical sites in the US, through to cleaning fuel pipes aboard ships back in the UK, Tim Deans, Operations Manager, reflects on what a varied and extensive number of projects the Nivalis team have worked on:
“In just three years we have applied our Ice Pigging technology around the world and our technology has delivered in excess of 10,000 metric tonnes of ice!”
“The logistics of this are hard to summarise as you can imagine. But as a small team based in Bristol we have built a business which can effectively deliver Ice Pigging technology in a variety of industries worldwide, and provide ongoing 24 hour support when needed. Not an easy feat and something which requires the dedicated and knowledgeable team which we are lucky to have in place.”
Being able to adapt technology to suit a range of industries takes extremely good teamwork and communication skills for all pieces of the puzzle to come together. Dom Ash, Technical Lead, explains:
“Working across time zones and in different technical fields requires a team to be cohesive and adaptable, qualities I think we’ve demonstrated effectively in Nivalis. Creating technology to work on war ships, in pharmaceutical factories, or in drinking water systems, takes an in-depth knowledge of design and engineering. But it also requires the support of our team who manage the accounts, are the first port of call for customers on the phone, or the front-facing team at events and meetings. It is a team effort and this is a team which I know we are all proud to be part of.”
So, while we sit back and sip on our celebratory margaritas (iced, of course), reflecting on three years of success and hard graft, if you are looking for a friendly, experienced team to help clean your pipes, please give us a call!
Here’s to the next three years, whatever icy challenges they may bring!