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Almarin foresees that its new economic buoy will be the benchmark for temporary beacons

Almarin, a company specialised in the manufacture and distribution of marine aids to navigation and part of the Lindley Group, has just launched the new B1250A onto the market, designed to be an economical buoy that complies with State-owned Spanish Port System regulations. According to the general director of Almarin, Aleix San Vicente, in an interview with Diario del Puerto, "although not all markings have the same importance, they all must comply with national and international regulations." In this regard, Aleix San Vicente details that adaptations of beach buoys are used for temporary beacons for works or temporary obstacles, small canals and recreational boating areas, sometimes fitted to hold a lantern on top. Its "very common" use is due to its economic price, although "unfortunately these buoys do not meet the requirements of the regulations of the International Association of Maritime Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and State Ports, since that do not have a sufficient visible area, focal plane or buoyancy reserve”.

B1250A, on the way to being a benchmark

The new B1250A buoy that Almarin has brought to the market offers a solution to this problem "being a buoy of affordable cost, with good features and meeting the requirements of size and scope", says the company's general manager. The differential factor of the product is its performance in that price range, "being a buoy that maintains our philosophy of a one-piece float and galvanized steel structure for load transmission". For the time being, the company has received an order for 30 units for a test in a navigation channel and "my expectation is that it will be the reference buoy for temporary beacons and the best possible solution for this segment", says Aleix San Vicente.

Other projects

Parallel to the launch of this new product, the Almarin team is currently working on a series of different port projects. In terms of marine aids to navigation, the company has recently completed the updating of the marking of the ports of Mataró, Arenys de Munt and Vilanova, in Catalonia. In a few months, it plans to supply new maritime beacons for the Port of Melilla and Isabel II Island, in the Chafarinas Islands, and plans to install new beacons in Puerto Caldera, in Costa Rica. With regard to the field of construction of marinas and recreational ports, the company is carrying out the supply and installation of two floating breakwaters: "one for the protection of the Port of Aguete, in Pontevedra, and another for the attenuation of waves in the Real Club Marítimo de Santander”, points out San Vicente. Likewise, in recent years Almarin has been working to strengthen the area of ??construction of mooring areas for boats and it does so in conjunction with Lindley, its pontoon manufacturing partner, which has extensive experience in Portugal and also in countries such as Brazil, Angola etc. "Our objective is to transfer its know-how and its products to projects that are developed in the Iberian Peninsula", he highlights. In short, "our job is to advise the port or relevant entity, following the guidelines of the State-owned Spanish Port System and the IALA, to improve their facilities and their safety, either through the drafting of maritime buoyage projects, inspections, updates of elements or new supplies, or maintenance actions”, says Aleix San Vicente.

Scarcity of raw materials and rising prices

After closing 2021 with profits, Almarin faces the new year with optimism, "seeing that the maritime sector is very active with projects to expand or renovate its maritime facilities," says its general manager. In addition, "in recent years, we have detected an increase in interest in creating leisure areas through the construction of piers and floating pools in a sustainable and respectful way in natural areas such as reservoirs, lakes, rivers, etc.", points out Alex San Vicente. Despite this, the company is aware that “the greatest challenge that we and the entire sector are going to face is the scarcity of raw materials and the consequent rise in prices. Although we trust that a normalization will arrive at the end of this year”, details San Vicente. As part of the Lindley Group, made up of four maritime-port and industrial companies, the different companies will face their own challenges: "Almovi, for example, has recently acquired the Florestal company and will now strengthen its existing range of products with this equipment for the maintenance of green areas", Aleix San Vicente advances.