From Port-La-Forêt, Espace Pur Deploys Coastal Protection System in Africa – Quimper – Live local news and information

The Atlantic attacked a cordon of sand dunes, and countless responded in the form of a submerged and collapsed trap, exacerbating erosion at its ends and an ocean advancing relentlessly. No, we are not in Fouesnant nor in Treffiagat. This scenario, which also plagues many sectors of the Breton coast, is being played out a little faster, on the west coast of Africa: in certain places in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the sea advances by about a meter every year. “Rising water and a strong swell effect,” Beatrice Cornick asks quickly to simplify the stock.

At the helm of the company, Espace Pur, based in the incubator of innovative companies in Port-La-Forêt, the business manager is preparing to install the first part of the coastal protection system, tailor-made after a series of studies: currents, the immediate environment, the nature of the sea floor, the grain size of the beaches concerned, etc.

Our approach is to study the field, understand the normal functioning and consider its various factors.

Restoration of 350 meters of the disappeared beach

This device will take the form of ten long geotextile tunnels with a diameter of one meter installed perpendicular to the coast, and is designed and marketed under the name Stabiplage©. “It will naturally be loaded with sand that has been picked up by the currents that we have located at this site,” explains Beatriz Kornek. “In this way, we will naturally reconstruct 350 meters of beach that have completely and simply disappeared, especially because of RepRap, as they are almost everywhere.” It was built. Here as elsewhere, the general principle is to restore the natural balance of the coastal zone.”

We work on numerical modeling but also physical modeling

The all-in-one device invented by Espace Pur also aims to mitigate the devastating effects of swell on the dune belt. “We work from digital models. But also from physical models. In other words, dynamic models faithfully recreate the phenomenon,” specifies Beatrice Cornick, whose foothold on the West African coast also contributes to the clarity of Espace Pur’s solutions.

The sea is a few tens of meters away from sensitive installations

The oil company Perenco, which has been regularly for decades exploiting deposits left behind by Total, is at the root of this. Faced with a real emergency here: on the coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the highest tides now put the sea line within a few tens of meters of the first industrial installations: storage tanks and the pipeline.

Another study described a large sea trap as a breakwater. Besides budget, our philosophy is completely different. The added value of Espace Pur lies in its ability to design solutions based on the natural shape of sites. It can also lead to plantations, fences or even paving, For example “.

Stabiplage ©, designed and manufactured in Finistère, installed on all coasts of the world
Espace Pur’s director, Béatrice Cornic, prefers to remain discreet about exactly where the vast pockets of geotextiles are sewn. In any case, she wants this exclusive and innovative manufacturing step to remain in the hands of her company and in Finisterre. This highly specific activity is currently employed by four people: one on a permanent contract and three on fixed term contracts. Production punctuated by orders. “We work with European materials,” assures the company’s president, emphasizing a sewing technique similar to that practiced in a sail-maker. The Stabiplage© is proven in its design and purpose of protection. “On the Channel Coast since 2005. In Sarzeaux for nineteen years securing a wetland”. As Espace Power enters Guadeloupe, Guyana, Mauritius or Vietnam …