As a result of the collaboration with Panal Flotante, SUEZ (one of the leading companies in environmental services) has carried out its first pilot in Lorca (Murcia) of the patented floating deck system for rafts and reservoirs using spheres. The technology has been implemented in the agricultural sector, with the aim of reducing water evaporation and reducing the proliferation of algae in rafts and reservoirs. The project has allowed the evaluation of the correct hydraulic operation, as well as the mechanical resistance to the atmospheric conditions, environmental temperatures higher than 35ºC, high UV index and strong gusts of wind.

The results to date, six months after start-up, are highly positive, with reductions in evaporation levels of more than 85% compared to a pond with similar conditions used as a contrast in the pilot.

On the other hand, the pilot is being monitored with different sensors in situ on the rafts, complemented with meteorological measurements at the foot of the raft. In addition, it is combined with a complementary system specifically designed by SUEZ for the recovery of rainwater.

This solution consists of a new modular floating roof system for rafts and reservoirs using spheres, which does not require a specific installation or civil works as other conventional systems do. The spheres are built with a combination of specific materials and designed with a specific geometry so that they are arranged naturally on the surface of the water body in an arrangement similar to that of a honeycomb. Its modular nature makes it easy to install the technology and remove it in the event of maintenance, cleaning or sampling operations, and it easily adapts to fluctuations in the water level.