Oslo-based cleantech Ocean Oasis, which utilizes wave energy to desalinate seawater and deliver it to shore, has received a €6 million grant from the European Union to fund the project to build and deploy the first fleet of offshore ocean desalination buoys, providing water for 15,000 people in Gran Canaria.
- Founded in 2020 by Kristine Bangstad Fredriksen and Sebastián Feimblatt, Ocean Oasis creates mobile floating desalination plants that use wave power to produce freshwater in deep ocean waters.
- The system converts fluctuating wave energy into a stable flow of pressurized seawater, delivering fresh water to shore through seabed pipes. Ocean Oasis operates under a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model, managing the financing, construction, and maintenance of these plants, which have the potential to supply entire cities with water.
About DESALIFE project
- The DESALIFE (Desalination for Environmental Sustainability and LIFE) project will test and validate Ocean Oasis' wave-powered desalination method using floating buoys off the coast of Gran Canaria, aiming to provide water for 15,000 people on the island.
“We are honoured to lead the DESALIFE project consortium to deliver renewable powered desalinated water, with zero emissions, to Gran Canaria. 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," CEO and co-founder of Ocean Oasis, Kristine Bangstad Fredriksen, stated.
- The Arucas-Moya seawater desalination plant in Gran Canaria will contribute to the DESALIFE project by integrating offshore freshwater from desalination buoys with its production, increasing production by 2,000 m3/day, equivalent to 15,000 people's daily consumption without expanding the existing onshore plant.
- The project brings together several key partners, including the Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC), the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN), the Renewable Energy Systems Research Group (GRRES) at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), and Elittoral.
“The participation of the Gran Canaria Island Water Council in the DESALIFE project, within the scope of insular hydrological planning, represents a strong commitment to promoting and developing reference projects aimed at harnessing renewable energy resources, such as wave energy," Vice president of the Gran Canaria Island Water Council, Miguel Hidalgo, commented.
Details of the deal
- The €6 million grant was awarded by the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment (CINEA) under the Circular Economy and Quality of Life Programme. This programme supports innovative projects that promote sustainability, resource efficiency, and environmental quality across the EU.
- The fresh funding will support the DESALIFE project, which aims to build and deploy the first fleet of offshore ocean desalination buoys in Gran Canaria, with plans to have the first pre-commercial buoys producing fresh water by mid-2026.
