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from the power-(and-fresh-water)-to-the-people dept.
As part of the "Blue Growth Strategy', the EU-funded H2020 W2O project has demonstrated the economic practicality of the world's first wave-driven desalination system, Wave2O. This operates completely 'off-grid' to supply large quantities of affordable fresh water.
Wave2O will be piloted in Cape Verde, an island in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa. A location for the pilot plant has been identified and site assessment studies, including bathymetric surveys, wave energy assessments, and water quality assessments are being carried out. Project coordinator and cofounder of the SME Resolute Marine Limited, Olivier Ceberio says, "We secured a pledge from the local power and water utility to purchase a full-scale Wave2O plant after trials of a pilot-scale plant have been successfully completed."
[...] Two wave energy converters (WECs) and two large 20-foot containers, one housing equipment for producing electricity and another for producing fresh water make up the Wave2O module. The WECs are connected to the containers by flexible hoses carrying pressurised seawater to and from the WECs. "Process seawater is sourced from an offshore well away from any sources of contamination through a multi-stage filtration system before entering a manifold system that splits its flow into two different paths," explains Ceberio.
Wave-induced mechanical energy is used by the WECs to drive two rotary actuators that increase the pressure of the intake seawater to 7 000 kPa before pumping it ashore. Here it is stabilised by a hydro-pneumatic accumulator to remove unwanted pressure pulsations before it enters the R/O system. A secondary flow of seawater is sent to an energy recovery unit (ERU). The ERU recovers energy from high-pressure brine – the by-product of the desalination process – and uses it to increase the pressure of the process seawater to 7 000 kPa. Energy recovery creates higher efficiency conversion, crucial for stand-alone operation.
The pressure-stabilised intake seawater is then merged and enters a standard R/O unit at an operating pressure of 6 200 kPa. Approximately 35 percent of the feed water is processed into fresh water, which is a relatively low recovery rate that has benefits related to reduced maintenance, extended membrane life and lower brine salinity. The highly energetic brine is then used to pre-charge the feed water.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @09:24AM (6 children)
Emphasis mine. EU money at work outside the EU... sure... why would we invest it in the EU itself?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @11:35AM (1 child)
There is a lot of NIMBY associated for these kinds of projects - especially for test/pilot projects. These are considered eyesores when they are near high-priced shorelines (e.g., the EU). By placing this test off the coast of a West African island they get access to very cheap (or in this case free) beachfront property (with little to no local island resistance and no local to the EU PR issues) and the commitment from the island to purchase a fully functioning facility after the pilot program ends.
In summary, the Blue Growth Strategy people are selling a Wave20 facility to a West African island after that island lets the Blue Growth Strategy people test in their local waters. The island will get a "green" source of fresh water and the Blue Growth Strategy will get a fully functioning demonstration close to where the vast majority of their prospective clients are.
This sounds like a smart investment to me.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:52PM
I doubt NIMBY was the reason for the location. Lots of other projects are carried out on mainland EU and even some EU countries could even benefit from such project in terms of going green, improvement to water supply and economy.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday November 28 2018, @12:38PM (2 children)
France in the Caribbean and French Guyana in northern South America. Also Tahiti and St. Pierre and Michelon islands immediately south of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic.
The UK has the Falklands.
I expect there are others.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 28 2018, @02:45PM (1 child)
Sure, many European countries have those (including mine). However, Cape Verde is an independent (non-EU) country.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday November 28 2018, @06:29PM
Former Portuguese colony.
There's a good amount of money flowing towards former colonies, by countries trying to preserve influence in strategic places.
(Score: 2) by Osamabobama on Wednesday November 28 2018, @05:44PM
Is Cape Verde located in an enclave of the Sahara Desert? The name would suggest otherwise, but the location is probably subject to little rainfall, which would drive the need for desalinated water.
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