Wave-powered desalination is riding high in Australia since Carnegie Wave Power completed the design of a unique wave-powered desalination pilot plant on Garden Island, Western Australia as part of the larger Perth Wave Energy Project.
The Perth Wave Energy Project, the world’s first commercial-scale wave energy array that is connected to the grid, was designed to feed renewable energy into HMAS Stirling, Australia’s largest naval base.
According to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor Frischknecht, “The innovative CETO technology moves with the waves to drive tethered seabed pumps and operates under water, providing protection from storms and corrosion. These pumps feed high pressure water onshore to the hydroelectric power station and desalination plant, supplying renewable energy and fresh water.â€
[Source: ARENA]
The problem with most reverse osmosis water plants is that traditional desalination plants are very expensive to build, utilise a lot of energy and require established infrastructure. The jury is still out as to whether they are cost-effective or not.
There are also smaller desalination devices such as the one invented by two recent college graduates, Chris Matthews, and Justin Sonnett, co-founders of SAROS Desalination. The Swell Actuated Reverse Osmosis System (SAROS) is a system of high-pressure pumps built on top of a self-powered buoy. The system draws in sea water, pumps it through a reverse-osmosis membrane at high pressure, and the resultant clean, drinkable water is stored in a tank until required. The whole system is powered by the action of the waves, which makes it very affordable. It is also small, portable, has a lifespan of around 10 years and can produce 2,000 gallons of clean water per day – all of this makes it ideal for use on islands, in developing countries, at eco-friendly resorts and military outposts, in coastal communities, and for disaster relief.
“We are still conducting initial conversations with contacts in Hawaii and a few other small-island developing states,†says Laura Smailes, SAROS’ director of operations. Once SAROS has a proven track record, “this will then allow us to partner with NGOs and enter developing coastal areas that are in desperate need of a water solution. These areas, such as the Philippines and Madagascar, could benefit from SAROS, a solution that provides a consistent source of water and price stability and is able to run off-grid.†[Source: CityLab]
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