Home | Projects | Balizamar buoy adapted for monitoring

Balizamar buoy adapted for monitoring

The objective of the project was based on developing innovative products for the offshore energy industry focused on the needs of that moment, and future, of offshore renewable energy parks, contributing to the reduction of investment and operational costs of this type of projects. The monitoring buoy for collecting environmental and oceanographic data was conceived to assist operations and provide information to offshore energy parks, in addition to providing information on parameters for environmental impact and operational feasibility studies. The conception of the equipment was focused on the acoustic component, including, in addition to a hydrophone with low data output, an acoustic modulation component.

Lindley, a company associated with Almarin, a company specialized in marine aids to navigation, was the entity in charge of the conception and supply of the marine buoy that has served as support for the measurement equipment installed by WavEC. The buoy, used in the first KIC-OTS monitoring buoy prototype, is characterized by its great stability in offshore areas or with strong undulation, as well as by its flexibility that allows its adaptation to new applications. To meet the project requirements, Lindley considered that the C1250T model from the Balizamar range was the optimal model, especially for the protection of the equipment on board. This type of buoy is characterized by a rotomolded polyethylene hull and a painted hot-dip galvanized steel structure. In conjunction with WavEC technicians, solutions were developed to adapt the buoy to the needs of the project. All the monitoring elements of the buoy were installed and tested by WavEC staff at the Lindley facilities, in Alcabideche (Portugal). On July 29, 2014, the monitoring buoy prototype was successfully placed and tested in the Tejo River estuary next to the Maritime Traffic Control Tower (VTS), in Algés. The result of the operation was achieved after two years of research, development and implementation of a monitoring system for various environmental parameters, fundamental in offshore energy parks, and intended for the transmission of data to land.