Need
NEOM is Saudi Arabia’s main business and tourism development zone on the Red Sea coast. It is a central project of Vision 2030 outlining the kingdom’s plans to diversify the economy. The $500 billion development (NEOM) will include smart cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centres, sports and leisure facilities and tourist resorts. The development will be spread across 26,500 sq km and will include several zones, including industrial and logistics areas.
As part of NEOM’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, it has promoted many initiatives and Tridel Technologies has had the opportunity to be part of its project “Marine monitoring equipment with operational data installation and management“.
In this “Marine Monitoring Programme” framework, autonomous sustained observatories are being implemented at 10 locations in the project area. The marine monitoring stations are moored buoys that house diverse sensors for measuring meteorological, air quality, oceanographic and water quality parameters. These buoy-based observatories have been deployed approximately within 50 m within the NEOM project area. With sustainable environmental measures in mind, each buoy component has been designed to minimise its impact on the natural environment.
Tridel Technologies, a professional environmental solutions organisation with integrated competencies in environmental science, engineering and technology, has been commissioned to provide end-to-end solutions for environmental studies with integrated monitoring systems (Kunak AIR Pro), modelling and environmental topography.
Solution
According to NEOM requirements, environmental parameters are being monitored by a network of Kunak AIR Pro stations that determine the level in the coverage area. These include ultrafine particles (PM1), suspended particles (PM2.5 and PM10), nitric oxide (NO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3).
These stations are powered by solar panels mounted on the buoys, which supply energy to all the integrated sensors.
The deployed sensor network provides accurate and reliable information on multiple pollutants throughout the project area. Due to the harsh conditions offshore, Kunak’s sensors had to be pre-tested to ensure their capability and robustness in such harsh environments.
It is important to highlight the need for the sensors to offer a continuous GPS location, as the buoys needed to be always geolocated. Also, the storage of the data collected by the Kunak AIR stations ensures that no data is lost in situations where there is no wireless communications coverage, allowing access to the data once communications are re-established.
Results
- Management and visualisation of the collected data by the sensor network through the Tridel – TEMS environmental monitoring system.
- Real-time monitoring of multiple pollutants and offshore environmental parameters.
- Deployment of an autonomous sensor network powered by the buoys’ solar panels and robust enough to operate 24/7 in such harsh environments.
- Spatial coverage of the “Marine Monitoring Programme” to safeguard biodiversity and protect the environment.
- Measurement control over the entire life cycle of each sensor thanks to the patented smart cartridge system.
