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DesaLIFE Showcased at ECOS2025

The 38th edition of the International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation, and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems (ECOS) was held in Paris, France, from June 29 to July 4.This annual conference, established in 1985, aims to promote, share, and generate knowledge among engineers, scientists, and policymakers.

 

The topics covered at ECOS are diverse and include climate change, energy research, and the role of energy in natural resources such as water and air—all with the goal of exchanging perspectives on current and future developments.
Among the papers presented at ECOS2025 were “Energy Analysis of Different Schemes for Humidification-Dehumidification (HDH) Desalination Systems” by P. Ungar, and “A Water Circularity Index for Energy Production Installations” by B. Scalzotto.
Given the relevance of this conference, the project ‘DesaLIFE – Desalination for Sustainability and Life’ was considered an important contribution. 

 

On July 3, two of the six co-authors, Ana Mª Blanco Marigorta and Mª Inmaculada Benítez Espino, presented the project through a poster entitled Reverse Osmosis Desalination System Using Wave Energy in Gran Canaria”.  The objective of the project is to demonstrate and validate a zero-emission wave-powered desalination technology for large-scale freshwater production on the north coast of Gran Canaria.

The project, which aims to increase seawater desalination capacity without raising electricity demand, generating CO₂ emissions, or causing negative impacts from brine discharge, made a strong impression on the ECOS community. Scientists and researchers from various disciplines showed great interest, recognizing the potential of this system to transform the desalination sector.

Authors: Mª Inmaculada Benítez Espino, Susana Rodriguez, Sebastian Feimblatt, Thomas B. Johannessen, Ana Mª Blanco Marigorta and Beatriz del Río Gamero.

Poster presented during the conference

Poster presented

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizont Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement no.190150864

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Ocean Oasis Presents Key Outcomes from the European ReWater Project

Ocean Oasis presenta los resultados del proyecto Europeo ReWater 

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 27 May — Ocean Oasis today presented the progress of the European ReWater project at the headquarters of the Port Authority of Las Palmas. This pioneering initiative promotes sustainable desalination through the exclusive use of wave energy.

 

Co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 190150864), the project has enabled the development and validation of the “Gaia” buoy prototype, which produces drinking water offshore without any connection to the power grid and with zero CO₂ emissions. This positions the technology as a viable and clean alternative for water supply in coastal and remote areas.

Technology Validation and a Step Towards Industrialisation

Ocean Oasis presented the technical results achieved after more than two years of development, workshop testing, and open-sea trials, confirming the efficient and stable performance of the wave-powered desalination buoy. This validation marks a key technological milestone, demonstrating the operational feasibility of a fully autonomous solution that transforms wave energy into drinking water.

With this successful demonstration, Ocean Oasis is preparing to enter the industrialisation phase, paving the way for future commercial partnerships, larger-scale deployments, and opportunities for local manufacturing. In addition, the continuation of the pilot buoy’s operations was announced through new collaborations and upcoming R&D calls, extending the project’s impact beyond its current phase.

In this context, the company also highlighted the new DesaLIFE project, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme (Grant Agreement No. 101147553), which will focus on the industrial development of pre-commercial units to be built at the Port of Las Palmas. This further strengthens the Canary Islands’ position as a technological hub for sustainable offshore solutions.

 

Institutional Backing and Strategic Outlook

Beatriz Calzada, President of the Port Authority of Las Palmas hosted the event,  highlighted Ocean Oasis’s technology as a “strategic solution” for producing drinking water without the need for a grid connection. She also expressed her appreciation for the involvement of local port companies and the Port Authority’s own team in supporting the project’s development.

“The work carried out by Ocean Oasis in our port reinforces the role of the Port of Las Palmas not only as a logistics hub, but also as a platform for innovation and the industrialisation of high value-added technological solutions,” Calzada stated.

 

This project strengthens a strategic industrial opportunity for the Canary Islands, with high potential for creating skilled jobs and positioning the region as an international leader in sustainable offshore technologies.

Also attending the event was Marcos Lorenzo, Deputy Minister for Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, representing the regional government’s commitment to innovative solutions that ensure a sustainable water supply for the archipelago.

Collaborative Ecosystem

The ReWater project marks a significant step towards a more sustainable model for drinking water production and positions the Canary Islands as a European benchmark in technological innovation applied to water and marine renewable energy.

With the technical validation of the system and the launch of the next industrial phase, Ocean Oasis reinforces its commitment to developing climate-neutral solutions that contribute to Europe’s and the planet’s sustainability goals.

Next Steps

The event also highlighted the continued operation of the wave-powered desalination pilot buoy through future collaborations and new R&D calls, as well as the industrial development of pre-commercial units under the DesaLIFE project, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme (Grant Agreement No. 101147553). These units are planned to be built at the Port of Las Palmas.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizont Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement no.190150864

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Presentación de resultados de ReWater

Ocean Oasis presenta los resultados del proyecto Europeo ReWater 

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 27 de Mayo -– Ocean Oasis ha presentado hoy en la sede de la Autoridad Portuaria de Las Palmas los avances del proyecto europeo ReWater, una iniciativa pionera que promueve la desalación sostenible mediante el uso exclusivo de energía de las olas.

Cofinanciado por el programa Horizonte Europa de la Unión Europea (Grant Agreement nº 190150864), el proyecto ha permitido desarrollar y validar el prototipo de boya “Gaia”, que produce agua potable en alta mar sin conexión a la red eléctrica y sin emisiones de CO₂, posicionando esta tecnología como una alternativa viable y limpia para el abastecimiento en zonas costeras y remotas.

Validación tecnológica y paso hacia la industrialización

Durante la jornada, Ocean Oasis presentó los resultados técnicos alcanzados tras más de dos años de desarrollo, pruebas en taller y ensayos en mar abierto, que confirman el funcionamiento eficiente y estable de la boya de desalación undimotriz. Esta validación marca un hito tecnológico clave, al demostrar la viabilidad operativa de una solución completamente autónoma que transforma la energía del mar en agua potable.

Con esta demostración, Ocean Oasis se prepara para iniciar la fase de industrialización, abriendo la puerta a futuras alianzas comerciales, despliegues a mayor escala y oportunidades de manufactura local. Además, se anunció la continuidad operativa de la boya piloto a través de nuevas colaboraciones y convocatorias de I+D, ampliando el impacto del proyecto más allá de su fase actual.

En esta línea, también se destacó el nuevo proyecto DesaLIFE, cofinanciado por el programa LIFE de la Unión Europea (Grant Agreement nº 101147553), que contempla el desarrollo industrial de unidades precomerciales y su construcción en el Puerto de Las Palmas, consolidando a Canarias como polo tecnológico en el ámbito de las soluciones offshore sostenibles.

 

Apoyo institucional y visión estratégica

El evento contó con la presencia de la presidenta de la Autoridad Portuaria de Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, quien destacó que la tecnología de Ocean Oasis representa una “solución estratégica” para producir agua potable sin necesidad de conexión a red. Agradeció además la implicación de las empresas del entorno portuario y del equipo de la Autoridad Portuaria en el desarrollo del proyecto.

“El desarrollo que ha llevado a cabo Ocean Oasis en nuestro puerto subraya el papel del Puerto de Las Palmas no sólo como hub logístico, sino también como plataforma para la innovación y la industrialización de soluciones tecnológicas de alto valor añadido”, señaló Calzada.

 

Este proyecto consolida una oportunidad industrial estratégica para Canarias, con un alto potencial de generación de empleo cualificado y liderazgo internacional en tecnologías offshore sostenibles.

También asistió al acto el Viceconsejero de Aguas del Gobierno de Canarias, Marcos Lorenzo, en representación del compromiso del Ejecutivo regional con soluciones innovadoras para garantizar el abastecimiento sostenible de agua en el archipiélago.

Ecosistema colaborativo

El proyecto ReWater representa un paso firme hacia un modelo más sostenible de producción de agua potable, y posiciona a Canarias como un referente europeo en innovación tecnológica aplicada al agua y a las energías renovables marinas. Con la validación técnica del sistema y el lanzamiento de la siguiente fase industrial, Ocean Oasis refuerza su compromiso con el desarrollo de soluciones climáticamente neutras que contribuyan a los objetivos de sostenibilidad de Europa y del planeta.

Siguientes pasos

Durante el evento también se ha destacado la continuidad de la boya piloto de desalinización undimotriz a través de futuras colaboraciones y nuevas convocatorias de I+D, así como el desarrollo industrial de unidades precomerciales en el marco del proyecto DesaLIFE, cofinanciado por el programa LIFE de la Unión Europea (Grant Agreement nº 101147553) y que contempla la construcción de estas unidades en el puerto de Las Palmas.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizont Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement no.190150864

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Model tests of the Ocean Oasis buoy

Photo: At the Océanide test basin with one of the models in the deep water basin. From left: Thomas B. Johannessen, Benjamin Rousse, Sebastian Feimblatt, Kristine B. Fredriksen, Julie Tillon, Benjamin Bailly, Winifred P. L. Johansen, Thierry Rippol and Alexandre Cinello.

For the past month, model testing of Ocean Oasis’ wave energy converter concept for desalination has been ongoing at Océanide in Southern France. A range of hull shapes have been tested covering the full range of potential future installations.

For the past month, model testing of Ocean Oasis’ wave energy converter concept for desalination has been ongoing at Océanide in Southern France. A range of hull shapes have been tested covering the full range of potential future installations.

During the model test campaign, an extensive range of buoy shapes and configurations have been tested in operation and survival conditions with the objective of validating our numerical tools and studying the hydrodynamics in more detail.

The test basin at Océanide has the capability of modeling waves, current and wind on fixed and floating structures in deep and shallow water. Together with a workshop providing high-quality models and an extensive range of instrumentation available, the facilities are highly suited for testing complex renewable concepts.

“The Océanide team has delivered excellent services throughout this challenging project and has provided a high-quality data set which will be very useful for many years”, says Thomas B. Johannessen who is following up the testing for Ocean Oasis.

The model test campaign is being conducted in La Seyne-sur-Mer, Southern France. Océanide provides model testing and engineering services for coastal and offshore applications, serving both public and private customers, as well as collaborative research projects. Océanide has a strong focus on offshore renewable technologies.

The model testing at Océanide is part of Ocean Oasis’ EIC Accelerator project named ReWater, co-funded by the European Union.

Photo: One of the models in the deep water basin.

Oct 16, 2023