Our system : Description
Via Marina’s proprietary system, Submariver®, can apply to the transportation of fresh water removed at the mouth of a river for coastal urban or agricultural uses. It can also apply for the transportation of treated wastewater from the outfall of a treatment plant of a large coastal city for agricultural uses or for recharging water tables, close to the coast, after the appropriate upgrade of the treatment plant to the required standards. On arrival, homes, agriculture and industry benefit from the water delivered. This gives rise to a strong economic and social development in these coastal regions.
The laying
The pipe is laid with its ballast from a laying barge, which is fed by supply boats and which goes forward at a speed of several kilometers per day. The laying is carried out without any preparation of the ground. If the transport distance is very long, it is preferable to bring the pipe up or install offshore platforms every 200 or 300 kilometers in order to provide again the required pressure into the pipe. These intermediary stages can constitute additional water catchments or else extra delivery points. It is thus possible to cover more than 1000 kilometers economically.
The pipe
Today, the diameter of the pipe can be as large as 4 meters. Submariver® can therefore transport several dozens of cubic meters per second while using up very little energy. The pipe is very light and totally flexible. It can collapse and then swell up again. The pipe is made mainly of very highly resistant thermoplastic textile fibers. The fibers are covered with a special coating on the inside to ensure the pipe is waterproof, and on the outside to protect it from the aggressive marine environment. The materials used in the pipe comply with all regulations on food contact materials.
The ballast
Since fresh water is being transported amid salt water, the pipe has a natural buoyancy. It has therefore to be ballasted. The ballast also serves as an anchor against marine currents and swell, even if these constraints are alleviated by depth. The pipe is linked to the ballast with straps. The length of the straps is calculated so that the pipe floats at a certain distance from the sea floor. Thus, Submariver® can easily adapt to the contours of the sea bed.