OceanWell and Eau d'Azur Forge Partnership to Pioneer Subsea Water Farming in French Riviera

OceanWell and Eau d'Azur: A New Era for Water Sustainability

In a groundbreaking collaboration, OceanWell, a pioneering water technology company, has joined forces with Eau d'Azur, the public utility responsible for water and sanitation services in the Nice Metropolis, France. This partnership marks the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at deploying revolutionary subsea water farm technology in a bid to secure sustainable freshwater supplies in coastal areas.

The Vision Behind the Collaboration

The announcement was made in Nice, a region known for its beautiful coastline and significant tourist influx. The initiative will kick off this year with pilot tests evaluating OceanWell's innovative deep-sea freshwater harvesting technology, which operates at depths beyond 400 meters. This advanced method leverages the natural pressure of the ocean to facilitate reverse osmosis, enabling each of the modular pods to extract up to 4,000 cubic meters (m3) of freshwater daily.

This novel approach is designed to be energy efficient, reducing the energy requirements that typical desalination processes demand while also minimizing the environmental impact — particularly the release of concentrated brine that often jeopardizes marine ecosystems.

Key Insights from OceanWell's CEO

Robert Bergstrom, CEO of OceanWell, stated, "Securing our water future is a global challenge, and it demands solutions that work with nature rather than against it. From California to the Côte d'Azur, our subsea water farms are designed to provide a reliable climate-resilient supply without the environmental cost of traditional desalination. This partnership marks another step toward our goal of delivering sustainable water at scale to coastal communities worldwide."

Strategic Goals of Eau d'Azur

Echoing this sentiment, Arnaud Rostan, Interim Director General at Eau d'Azur, emphasized the significance of this agreement. He noted, "This collaboration will allow us to explore new methodologies to diversify and secure the area’s water supply, a critical response to the growing challenges posed by climate change."

Economic and Environmental Potential

The MOU is a product of economic missions, notably one to California in June 2024, where leaders identified the immense potential of OceanWell's technology for the Nice region. This collaboration is expected to boost both economic growth and environmental sustainability, especially as Nice Côte d'Azur seeks to elevate its position within the Blue Economy. Hervé Laubertie, CEO of Team Nice Côte d'Azur, remarked, "OceanWell's establishment in our territory illustrates the tremendous potential of Nice Côte d'Azur in the Blue Economy. By fostering collaborations with local stakeholders like Eau d'Azur, we can stimulate economic growth while also protecting our oceans, which is paramount for our region and for global health."

Future Outlook

To support this ambitious project, OceanWell has set up its European headquarters, OceanWell France SAS, in Nice, backed by funding from the Business Landing program of Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur. This initiative extends OceanWell’s reach beyond North America, where it is already advancing its Water Farm 1 project in California's Santa Monica Bay in conjunction with seven water agencies.

Looking ahead, the Nice deployment will serve as a precursor to a Mediterranean Water Farm demonstrator, aiming to secure a dependable supply of high-quality freshwater that considers marine biodiversity. Testing will commence in 2026 and will span roughly 12 months, involving assessments of environmental impacts, monitoring of marine ecosystems, and engineering studies to evaluate pathways to commercial deployment between 2028 and 2030.

About OceanWell and Eau d'Azur

OceanWell has developed a modular subsea water farm solution that harnesses the natural hydrostatic pressure of the ocean to produce freshwater sustainably. The technology promises to lower energy consumption by as much as 40% compared to traditional desalination methods while respecting marine environments. Meanwhile, Eau d'Azur oversees various domains, including economic development and water management across the 51 municipalities of Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur.

This strategic partnership not only illustrates the convergence of innovative technology and essential public services but also represents a critical step towards developing resilient and environmentally friendly water solutions that could serve as models worldwide.