Floating solar is becoming an increasingly popular solution for renewable energy production – specifically in countries such as the Maldives, an island nation that is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels and is dependent on importing fuel to power it’s grid. One of the key challenges of implementing floating solar in the Maldives is the need to anchor the floating solar arrays to the seabed in a way that is both secure and sustainable.
This is where Hazelett Marine elastic mooring solutions come in. Elastic mooring systems are designed to provide a secure and flexible anchoring solution for floating structures, such as floating solar arrays.
The elastic mooring system is composed of a series of elastics that are anchored to the seabed using helical anchors. The solar platforms are then attached to the elastic mooring systems, which allows them to move with the waves and currents, while still maintaining a stable position.
One of the key benefits of using Hazelett elastic mooring products for floating solar is that they are designed to be environmentally friendly. Traditional anchoring and mooring solutions, such as concrete piles or chain, can damage fragile marine ecosystems, including coral reefs and seagrass beds. Elastic mooring systems, on the other hand, are designed to minimize the impact on the marine environment, while reducing stress on the system and allowing for the sustainable production of renewable energy.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, Hazelett elastic mooring products offer several other benefits for floating solar. For example:
- Flexibility: Elastic mooring systems allow for a greater degree of flexibility in the placement of floating solar arrays, as they can be positioned in areas with varying water depths and seabed conditions.
- Durability: Elastic mooring systems are designed to withstand the harsh marine environment, including strong winds, waves, and currents, making them a reliable anchoring solution for floating solar arrays.
- Cost-effectiveness: Elastic mooring products can be a cost-effective alternative to traditional anchoring solutions, as lower maintenance costs on the system overall allow for a longer lasting system and higher ROI on a project.
- Stress and point load reduction: Due to the low maintenance and stability of our mooring systems, Hazelett elastics provide an excellent solution to moor floating solar arrays. They can be distributed to reduce peak forces by 30 – 80% by absorbing energy, thus decreasing forces on the anchors.
Overall, Hazelett Marine elastic mooring systems are an ideal solution for floating solar in locations like the Maldives as well as globally, providing a secure and sustainable anchoring solution that minimizes the impact on the marine environment. Hazelett also provides anchoring and mooring design and engineering for floating solar projects, to ensure optimal anchoring and mooring solutions depending on location. With our global partners, Hazelett Marine is excited for two new utility sized systems to be installed in 2023, with more systems on the horizon.
As the countries like the Maldives continues to prioritize renewable energy production and sustainable development, elastic mooring systems will play an important role in achieving these goals.
To learn more, please visit https://hazelettmarine.com/ or e-mail info@hazelettmarine.com.