---
url: https://www.eurocovers.eu/knowledge/hexagonal-vs-armor-vs-continuous
title: Which floating cover for an EU industrial site?
description: Hexagonal modular, spherical, or continuous geomembrane — a buyer-side matrix for EU industrial water sites: country, budget, lead time, regulator.
updated: 2026-05-28

---

# Which floating cover for an EU industrial site?

Hexagonal modular, spherical, or continuous geomembrane — a buyer-side matrix for EU industrial water sites: country, budget, lead time, regulator.

For most EU industrial reservoirs over 1,000 m², the hexagonal modular cover is what
EuroCover will quote — it ships from EU stock or US manufacture in 2–8 weeks, deploys
anchorlessly, and clears the regulatory bar for evaporation, algae, and odor objectives
without site-specific engineering. For other deployment shapes, two alternatives in the
EuroCover catalog answer different binding constraints.

For the engineering comparison (tile geometry, sphere ballast, geomembrane mechanics), see
the technology reference at
[pond-cover.com/hexagonal-floating-cover](https://pond-cover.com/hexagonal-floating-cover).

## At a glance

| Property | Hexagonal modular | Armor Ball AQUA | Continuous geomembrane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Reservoirs > 1,000 m² | Small / irregular bodies | Methane capture, full containment |
| EuroCover catalog | [Hexprotect® AQUA](/products/hexprotect-aqua), [Hexofloat®](/products/hexofloat) | [Armor Ball AQUA](/products/armor-ball-aqua) | Not stocked |
| Anchorless | Yes | Yes | No |
| Install on operating reservoir | Yes | Yes | No (drain required) |
| EU lead time | 2–8 weeks (AQUA), 3–6 weeks (Hexofloat®) | Pending founder confirmation | Project-specific |
| Per-m² capex | Moderate | Lower | Higher |
| 10-year EU TCO | Lowest | Moderate | Higher |

## When each alternative makes sense in the EU

### Use the hexagonal modular catalog when

- Reservoir surface area exceeds 1,000 m².
- Wind exposure is a deciding factor (specify the wind rating in the RFP).
- 25-year operating horizon is the procurement basis.
- Potable applications need NSF/ANSI food-grade documentation (default to Hexprotect® AQUA).
- EU manufacturing origin is a binding constraint (default to Hexofloat®).

### Use Armor Ball AQUA when

- Water body under 500 m² or highly irregular geometry.
- Temporary deployment (fire-suppression, construction water tanks).
- Perimeter containment booms are acceptable.

### Use continuous geomembrane when

- Methane recovery is in scope (biogas digester core).
- Environmental containment is the design driver.
- Reservoir geometry is regular and dynamic water levels are not in play.
- Capex headroom exists for the anchoring infrastructure.

## A note on hybrids

Biogas plants commonly use continuous geomembrane on the digester core (methane capture)
with modular hexagonal on adjacent digestate storage (odor, heat retention). The combined
solution outperforms either geometry alone.

## 10-year total cost of ownership — EU industrial reservoir, ~10,000 m²

| Line item | Hexagonal | Armor ball | Continuous |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capex / m² | Moderate | Lower | Higher |
| Anchor infrastructure | None | None | Required, maintenance |
| Replacement at 10 years | None | 0–1 cycle | Possibly 1 cycle on dynamic levels |
| Drainage cost | None | None | At install (€10k–€50k+) |
| Lifecycle TCO | Lowest | Moderate | Higher |

The lifecycle gap closes when methane capture is monetised on continuous covers. For
surface-management goals only, hexagonal modular wins by a meaningful margin over a 10-year
EU operating horizon.

## Sources and further reading

- [pond-cover.com/hexagonal-floating-cover](https://pond-cover.com/hexagonal-floating-cover) — engineering reference for the patented hexagonal cover.
- USDA Bureau of Reclamation — evaporation suppression field trials (https://www.usbr.gov/research/dam/).
- US Department of Energy — wastewater facility cover evaluations.
- EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) — regulatory framework.

For dedicated comparison pages:
[Hexagonal vs Armor Ball AQUA](/vs/floating-balls),
[Hexagonal vs geomembrane](/vs/geomembrane),
[Modular vs continuous](/vs/continuous-floating-covers).