Wave & tidal power | A promising frontier
As recent industry events highlight, marine energy represents a promising frontier in the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions
NORWEGIAN COMPANY OCEAN OASIS is set to use wave power to turn seawater into freshwater, helping address water scarcity issues on the Canary Islands. Situated off the west coast of Africa, the islands in
Above: The north coast of Gran Canaria, Spain. Wave powered desalination is set to help address water scarcity issues across the Canary Islands
the archipelago face serious water shortage problems, putting pressure on already depleted resources. As such, businesses and communities on the island have become more dependent on sea water desalination for freshwater. This new project will produce zero- emission wave-powered freshwater, thus increasing local water production, without increasing energy, CO2 emissions or brine discharge The DESALIFE (Desalination for Environmental Sustainability And LIFE) project will test and validate Ocean Oasis’ wave-powered solution providing desalinated water from floating buoys in deep water off the coast of Gran Canaria. These buoys produce freshwater using membrane- based desalination technology, powered directly by wave-induced motion, with no need for grid power, any emissions to the atmosphere and without chemicals on board. The technology has been developed for sustainable use of the oceans drawing on 50 years of experience and knowledge development in the Norwegian offshore industry. The project aims to have the first pre-commercial buoys producing fresh water by mid-2026. Kristine Bangstad Fredriksen, CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean Oasis, said: “At Ocean Oasis we believe that by harnessing the power of renewable energy, such as wave power, we have the potential to create a future where clean water is accessible and abundant, not scarce. This first-of a-kind project will demonstrate our solution for the Canary Islands, and the potential to deliver fresh water to other coastal areas and island nations facing water scarcity.” The north coast of Gran Canaria was chosen for its wave potential, operating conditions and proximity to existing onshore desalination facilities.
Subsea energy
SLB OneSubsea has signed a memorandum of understanding with C-Power to explore the use of converted energy from ocean waves as a lower- cost, lower-carbon power source for subsea energy applications. The joint industry project, cosponsored by the US Department of Energy, will be conducted in collaboration with Subsea Integration Alliance partners SLB OneSubsea and Subsea7. SLB OneSubsea will deliver an integrated solution, including an electric actuation system and a wireless telemetry system, for the 18-month field test of C-Power’s SeaRAY autonomous offshore power system. Field testing will be conducted at the PacWave South wave energy test site offshore Newport, Oregon to advance the autonomous system’s operating envelope by demonstrating long-term reliability in one of the harshest ocean environments. The project partners will collect data from multiple
sources, including autonomous underwater vehicles, robotics, operating equipment, and advanced satellite communications. By using the latest advancements in subsea digitalisation, electrification, and distributed fiber optic sensors, the project partners will use the data collected to identify potential use cases for converted energy from ocean waves in subsea energy applications.
Competitive industry Wave power is set to become cost-competitive with
offshore wind by 2030s, according to a flagship study led by the two leading European universities. Experts from LUT University School of Energy
Systems in Finland, recently joined forces with the Marine Renewable Energies Lab at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Their global wave energy resource assessment investigates the role of wave power in energy system analyses, incorporating real data from a state-of-the-art wave energy converter
Right: Tidal power plant in South Korea © Stock for you /
Shutterstock.com
38 | November 2024 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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