New Proposal to Achieve Water Circularity in the Balearic Nautical Sector

The manager of the Balearic Marine Cluster, Pedro Suasi, and representatives from the marinas involved in the project met this Tuesday with the Director General of Water Resources of the Govern, Joan Calafat, to present the project 'Blue Marinas: Zero-Emission Desalination for Circular Water'.

This project involves conducting a technical feasibility study in collaboration with the main marinas in the Balearic Islands to install and use zero-emission private desalination units for cleaning boats, with the primary goal of finding a circular solution for the desalination byproduct, brine.

Suasi explained, “This study will support the marinas' decision-making process in an objective and rational manner, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their opportunities and threats. Additionally, the necessary resources to carry out the project will be determined, and ultimately, its prospects for success will be evaluated against other possible alternatives such as the use of reclaimed water for cleaning boats. The goal is for the water used by the marinas to be 100% circular.”

Suasi also emphasized that the meeting served “to ensure our project aligns with the actions the Govern wishes to pursue regarding the management of the islands' water resources. From Balearic Marine Cluster, we have highlighted that this project not only has substantial support from entities and associations but also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by aiming to improve water quality, reduce pollution, and promote a more efficient use of this scarce resource.”

This project has been submitted by Balearic Marine Cluster to the call for grants aimed at financing innovative projects through cooperation, seeking to find, implement, and digitalize sustainable innovative solutions in tourism establishments in the Balearic Islands, funded by the EU Next Generation EU.

Supporting entities for this project include Club de Mar, Alcudiamar, Port Adriano, Marina Botafoc, Marina Port de Mallorca, Marina Palma Cuarentena, Marina Ibiza, Marina Port Ibiza, Marina Port Mahón, and Astilleros de Mallorca.

Furthermore, the project has received letters of support from the Directorate General of Water Resources, Balearic Port Authority, ADR Balears, University of the Balearic Islands, Association of Nautical and Sports Facilities of the Balearic Islands, Association of Yacht Clubs of the Balearic Islands, Fanmed, Alcudiamar, Ocibar, Marina Palma Cuarentena, Marina Port de Mallorca, Club de Mar, Marina Ibiza, Astilleros de Mallorca, and Garau Engineers.

Also attending the meeting were Lucía Mingot, head of the Support and Sustainability Commission of Balearic Marine Cluster, Director of Quality and Innovation at Astilleros de Mallorca, and Pilar Moyà, Deputy Director of Marina Port de Mallorca.

The water circularity project aims to conduct a technical feasibility study in collaboration with the main marinas in the Balearic Islands to install and use private desalination units for cleaning boats.

The steps being followed by Balearic Marine Cluster are as follows: Meetings with the involved marinas to assess specific needs, identify limitations, and analyze economic aspects. Additionally, the focus is on searching and analyzing equipment that promotes research and analysis of available desalination options in the market for a subsequent implementation study.

An analysis of resources will also be conducted to evaluate the energy needs of the desalination units and propose renewable energy alternatives to minimize the carbon footprint. A waste analysis will determine the amount of waste generated and propose circularity alternatives within the marina.