Blue Parameters has completed a Seaflex-moored floating pontoon at one of the world’s most ambitious sustainable tourism developments
The Guernsey marine company has completed the installation of a floating seaplane dock at Shura Island, the flagship hub of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea – and says the same low-impact, cost-effective approach has clear application for Guernsey’s own marine infrastructure.
Blue Parameters led the installation on behalf of Seaflex, working alongside developer Red Sea Global and contractor China Harbour Engineering Arabia Co., Ltd. (Middle East). The 100-square-metre, nine-tonne pontoon is held in place entirely below the waterline by the Seaflex elastic mooring system – with the job finishing on a fine margin, the team easing the pontoon a precise 22 centimetres into its final position.
Seaflex is said to install quickly, without piling or heavy groundworks. It sits out of sight beneath the water, leaving the dock clean and uncluttered. It holds the structure without dragging chain across the seabed. It does this at a lower cost than traditional moorings. In a lagoon of living coral and seagrass, on a development committed to leaving the environment better than it found it, low impact is non-negotiable.
Nick Burton, Managing Director, Blue Parameters said: “It’s a proud moment to see a Guernsey company delivering infrastructure of this standard on the world stage. The thing we’d want people at home to take from it is a simple one: marine infrastructure doesn’t have to be slow, costly or intrusive. The expertise sits right here on the island — and we’d relish the chance to put it to work for Guernsey’s own waterfront and its blue economy.
