Innovative Projects

Using the Ocean to Transform Nations’ Power-Generating Capacities

Live Projectsi

Ocean Thermali

Wave to Energyi

;

Ocean Bioenergyi

Living Breakwateri

GLOEA PROJECT PIPELINE

Developing an Ocean Energy Industry

There is an Ocean Energy Technology Solution For Every Small Island Developing State and Coastal Least Developed Country: Thermal, Wave, Tidal, BioEnergy, and others. But these nations have a low capacity to capitalize on our largest renewable energy source to create an ocean energy industry that can support adaptation efforts and build climate resilience.

The deployment of commercial-scale demonstration ocean energy technologies in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Coastal Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are needed to validate the operational performance of the science, which is critical to attracting large scale private investment, and convincing government that ocean energy can deliver a low-carbon economy that generates sustainable blue-green gender-equity employment to replace those lost due to the negative impacts of climate change significantly reduce balance of payment and external debts.

The demonstration projects below represent ocean energy technologies in the Caribbean, Pacific, and African coastal countries, which are designed to convert kinetic and thermal ocean resources into clear electricity to meet demand or input in industrial processes to produce goods and/or services, such as fertilizers, desalinated water, transportation fuels, and energy to regenerate coral reefs to address sea level rise and coastal erosion.

At least three (3) regional packages, comprising fifteen (15) projects, are being developed with private sector companies for deployment by 2033, in line with the SIDS DOCK Goal: we’re not going to meet the 2030 SDG.

For more information on SIDS-Appropriate Sustainable Energy Technologies:

EXPLORE TECHNOLOGIES

STEPUP© PROCESS

Due to certain limitations, SIDS and coastal LDCs have been unable to take advantage of ocean energy technologies. There is limited capacity and awareness about the practical application of ocean energy. These and other barriers require a business case for specific ocean energy projects. The STEPUP© 6-Step process familiarizes and guides SIDS experts, technology partners, investors, financiers, and policymakers.

 Identify

Member country assisted to identify potential opportunity

 Qualify

Technology partners validate the feasibility of a solution

 Propose

Financial/technology partners present a proposal for member review

l Contract

Member country negotiates with financial/technology partners

 Deliver

Technology partner builds the platform at the pilot site

 Operate

Technology partner hands over and continues to build capacity

PILOT OCEAN ENERGY PROJECT CURRENTLY UNDERWAY

3 COUNTRIES: Belize, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tonga

Global OTEC Platform

A 1.5 MW Floating OTEC Platform Prototype Project serving São Tomé and Príncipe

Global OTEC Platform

A 1.5 MW Floating OTEC Platform Prototype Project serving São Tomé and Príncipe

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Conversion of Sargassum into Electricity

Conversion of Sargassum into the Belize Energy Mix, San Pedro, Belize

Conversion of Sargassum into Electricity

Conversion of Sargassum into the Belize Energy Mix, San Pedro, Belize

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Wave Power Park

A 2.0 MW Wave Power Park Project off the Southwest Coast of Tongatapu, Tonga

Wave Power Park

A 2.0 MW Wave Power Park Project off the Southwest Coast of Tongatapu, Tonga

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BIOROCK® Protection

Demonstration Reef and Shore Protection Project, North Coast, Tongatapu, Tonga

BIOROCK® Protection

Demonstration Reef and Shore Protection Project, North Coast, Tongatapu, Tonga

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POTENTIAL PILOT OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (OTEC) PROJECTS

12 COUNTRIES: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Jamaica, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, St. Lucia, Tonga

wdt_ID	COUNTRY	PROJECT TYPE	ENERGY POTENTIAL	DESCRIPTION
13	Antigua & Barbuda	Offshore type OTEC system - barge style OTEC plant	50MW class OTEC system with an electricity generation cost of US$ 0.16/kWh and a seawater desalination cost of US$ 0.18/m3	Deep waters surround Antigua and Barbuda and therefore have relatively easy access to 1,000-meter-deep cold water, which is necessary for the OTEC process. With latitudes between 16° N and 17° N, it ensures warm surface seawater, and in fact, the Caribbean region has long been recognized as an excellent thermal energy source. “OTEC A” proposal is located approximately 22 km offshore and would be visible by air traffic near the north of the airport. The sub-sea electric cable would connect directly to the grid near Crabbs Peninsula, giving a direct route to the largest population. “OTEC B” proposal is closer to shore at approximately 17km offshore and would connect near Falmouth on the southeast of the Island. The water desalinated on the OTEC plant would be piped ashore following a similar path to the electric cables. A land-based hydrogen processing plant utilizing off-peak electricity is considered near this landing point. In addition, a water bottling plant utilizing pure deep ocean water can be located at either location, thereby supplying the tourism sector with bottled water.
14	Bahamas	Offshore type OTEC system - barge style OTEC plant	100MW class OTEC system with an electricity generation cost of US$ 0.13/kWh and a water system at US$ 0.14/m4	Deep waters surround the Bahamas and therefore have relatively easy access to 1,000-meter-deep water, which is necessary for the OTEC process. Having latitudes between 21° N and 26° N ensures warm seawater; the Caribbean region has long been recognized as an excellent thermal energy source. To reduce the transmission cost and associated losses, it is practical to locate the OTEC plants near the main consumption points, and for this purpose, the population density is utilized. In addition to electricity, the large amounts of desalinated water would argument the existing water supply system. Most of the Bahamas Islands have easy access to deep warm water; however, with the small populations, only New Providence and Grand Bahama are considered now. A feasibility report can include other similar locations with high consumption rates.
15	Barbados	Offshore type OTEC system - barge style OTEC plant	100MW class OTEC system with an electricity generation cost of US$ 0.12US$/kWh and water generation cost of 0.14US$/ton	Three options - “OTEC A, B, C”: “OTEC A” would directly connect to one of the largest energy consumption points in the country, the capital Bridgetown. The transmission distance is approximately 18 Km. “OTEC B” is slightly closer to shore at 15 km to shore and is close to another large population, Speightstown. Another advantage is that it would connect to the end of the existing 24kV grid, see page 4. This would reduce the transmission volume and associated losses over the distance from the existing generating systems. “OTEC C” is the closest point to land at 6km. With the lower population density on the east of the Island and a longer distance to the 24kV connection, the overall saving compared to A and B is possibly negligible. A large requirement of the tourism industry is potable water. The OTEC systems would pump water directly to the public water authority and possibly act as a pickup point for the cruise ships. The ship would pull alongside and “pick up” a large water bag. This cruise ship would continue to port with the bag floating behind, continuously pumping its contents aboard. This method would reduce the port infrastructure stress and the time required on the port. Besides water, another export potential is lithium recovered from the deep seawater. With an electricity tariff of 0.30 US$/kWh, water rate of 1.5US$ per cubic meter (5.7US$/kg), and fishery rate of 2.0US$/kg, yearly profits of 12.3mUS$, 44.5mUS$ and 182.5mUS$ are calculated. These profits are gained as the actual generation costs of electricity and water are much lower, and the fisheries are an additional by-product with very few additional costs. Also, as the scale increases, the construction and operation cost per unit output decreases dramatically.
16	Belize	Offshore type OTEC system - barge style OTEC plant	100MW class OTEC system with an electricity generation cost of US$ 0.13US$/kWh and water generation cost of 0.18US$/ton	Belize has relatively easy access to 1,000-meter-deep water, which is necessary for the OTEC process. Having latitudes between 16° N and 19° N e ensures warm seawater, and in fact, the warm waters in the Caribbean have long been recognized as an excellent thermal energy source. Potential OTEC locations off Belize's southeast, southwest, and north coasts are proposed. A natural fishery is developed by the deep-water nutrients, and therefore the OTEC plant becomes a central point by providing energy, water & food. In addition, lithium recovery is possible as an export product, increasing the overall economic potential.
17	Dominican Republic	Offshore type OTEC system - barge style OTEC plant	100MW class OTEC system with an electricity generation cost of US$ 0.13/kWh and a water system at US$ 0.14/m3 for a 100MW class system	Deep waters surround the Dominican Republic and therefore have relatively easy access to 1,000-meter-deep water, which is necessary for the OTEC process. Having latitudes between 18° N and 19° N ensures warm seawater, and in fact, the warm waters in the Caribbean have long been recognized as an excellent thermal energy source. With the largest consumption, Santo Domingo is initially proposed with San Pedro de Macoris, La Romana, and Barahona. The tourist towns of Puerto Plata, Bavaro, and Punta Cana are also viable locations with high electricity and potable water usage rates. The distances from shore to the OTEC plant range from 10km to 35km, and these are well inside the subsea cable and piping ranges. In addition to electricity, the large amounts of desalinated water would argument the existing water supply system. A feasibility report can include other similar locations with high consumption rates. A large requirement of the tourism industry is potable water. The OTEC systems would pump water directly to the public water authority and possibly act as a pickup point for the cruise ships. The ship would pull alongside and “pick up” a large water bag. This cruise ship would continue to port with the bag floating behind, continuously pumping its contents aboard. This method would reduce the port infrastructure stress and the time required on the port. Besides water, another export potential is lithium recovered from the deep seawater.

POTENTIAL PILOT WAVE ENERGY PROJECTS USING SEABASED TECHNOLOGY

7 COUNTRIES: Grenada, Mauritius, Samoa, Seychelles, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonga

wdt_ID	COUNTRY	PROJECT TYPE	PROJECT STATUS	ENERGY POTENTIAL	DESCRIPTION
20	Grenada	Seabased Wave Power Park	Identify	40 megawatts, slightly more that the country’s current estimated 50 megawatts of installed generating capacity	The Grenville Seabased Wave Power Park • Wave power park site located offshore Grenville, about 2.5 kilometres to the east, and at a depth of between 30 and 40 meters. • Significant flat areas of the seafloor are present, and research shows that year-round wave speed at that depth is greater than 1 meter per second. • Project implementation is in two phases, with a 2-megawatt commercial pilot developed for demonstration and to prove the technical viability of the site. • Grenville site has the potential to generate up to 40 megawatts, slightly more that the country’s current estimated 50 megawatts of installed generating capacity • The next phase is the installation of additional units to meet demand. • Close-by locations with suitable site requirements have additional capacity for up to 70 megawatts.
21	Mauritius	Seabased Wave Power Park	Identify	40 megawatts and, based on a 40 percent availability capacity factor	The Grand Gaube Seabased Wave Power Park • Wave power park site located at the northern tip of the island, about 3 kilometers offshore, and at a depth of between 30 to 40 meters • The inclination of the seabed is less than 2 percent • Significant flat areas of the seafloor are present, and research shows year-round wave speed at that depth is greater than 1 meter per second • Project implementation is in two phases, with a 2-megawatt commercial pilot developed for demonstration and to prove the technical viability of the site. • The Grand Gaube site has the potential to generate up to 40 megawatts and, based on a 40 percent availability capacity factor, delivered to the grid would provide electricity equivalent to about 40 million liters of diesel fuel per year (more than 25,000 barrels), reducing the need for continued imports • The next phase is the installation of additional units to meet demand.
22	Samoa	Seabased Wave Power Park	Qualify	Up to 40 megawatts, with the potential to generate up to 90 MW of power from the 6.5 square kilometer area of seafloor.	The Apia Seabased Wave Power Park • Potential wave power park site located offshore Apia, about 1.5 kilometers to east southeast, and at a depth of between 50 and 65 meters. • Waves arrive consistently from the east-southeast, and the Apia site has significant wave height and wave energy that favors strong and steady production of power production throughout the year • A 40-megawatt wave park could potentially provide up to 82 percent of the power needed for Samoa. The anticipated cost of electricity will be significantly lower than the current generating cost.
23	Seychelles	Seabased Wave Power Park	Identify
24	St. Lucia	Seabased Wave Power Park	Identify	Up to 40 megawatts (MW), with the potential to generate up to 70 MW of power from the 6 square kilometre area of sea floor.	The Vieux Fort Seabased Wave Power Park • Potential wave power park site located on the east side of the island has significant wave height and wave energy that favours strong and steady production of power production throughout the year • The wave climate is highly attractive on the east side of the island, suggesting a 40 percent capacity factor • The Vieux Fort site has the potential to generate up to 40 megawatts (MW), with the potential to generate up to 70 MW of power from the 6 square kilometre area of sea floor. • There is potential for further expansion south of this site (area about 25 km2 but unknown frequency of rocks/corals) • With a 40MW wave park in combination with existing and planned wind and solar plants (the latter totalling approx. 100 GWh of generation), St Lucia would exceed its target of 50 percent renewables in a handful of years, without putting grid stability at risk. • A 40mw Wave Park could save St Lucia from purchasing some 42 million litres of fuel (diesel) per year • The investment in the park would pay for itself in a handful of years in saved fuel costs alone. An average cost of fuel of $1/litre results in an annual savings of $42 million dollars in foreign reserves. • The 40MW Wave Park alone is almost sufficient to enable St. Lucia to achieve its NDC goal of 23 percent reductions by 2030.

POTENTIAL PILOT OCEAN BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

Utilization of Marine Biomass, Carbon-Based Waste Material From Municipal Solid Waste,
and Agriculture and Forestry for the Production of Electricity and Liquid Fuels

wdt_ID	COUNTRY	PROJECT TYPE	PROJECT STATUS	ENERGY POTENTIAL	DESCRIPTION	ESTIMATED PROJECT COST (USD)	FINANCING REQUIRED (USD)	Project Details
20	Belize	Conversion of Sargassum into liquid fuels using VARIODIN patented pyrolysis technology	Qualify		Belize Waste-To-Energy Pilot Project – Conversion of Sargassum into the Belize Energy Mix: Commercial Demonstration Project in San Pedro, Belize, using the VARIODIN AG’s TechnologyPilot Project to promote the accelerated deployment of integrated waste-to-energy systems in Belize to help respond to the challenges of ocean environmental management, rehabilitation of ecosystems, and the management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)The construction and operation of a Commercial Demonstration Waste to Energy Facility (CDWEF) in San Pedro that will produce baseload electricity for export to the national electric utility and Fuels for domestic use export. The CDWEF will be comprised of:a. MSW processing including:● Waste Separation into combustible and non-combustible materials.● Processing of combustible into solid fuel.b. Sargassum Biomass Harvesting and Processing comprised of :● Sargassum capture and initial dewatering after collection at sea.● Transportation to San Pedro● Secondary drying using waste heat from the electricity plant.● Conversion into liquid fuels using VARIODIN patented pyrolysis technology.	0	0,00

POTENTIAL PILOT LIVING BREAKWATER TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

2 Countries: Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu

THE BIOROCK SHORE PROTECTION PROJECT: This project will regenerate reefs using the electrolytic mineral accretion system (Biorock), comprised of structures fabricated from steel reinforcing bars placed into and attached to the ocean floor. These structures are then provided with low voltage direct current to grow solid limestone rock (calcium carbonate – CaCO3) over the structure and support the growth of native corals. Within months these structures have increased surface area, energy from incoming waves is significantly reduced at the shore and sand starts to accumulate instead of being washed away. The growth of the BIOROCK® reef is accompanied by fishes, crabs, corals, mangroves, and increased diversity of marine life.

Unlike traditional seawalls, which increase erosion in front of them and eventually collapse, Biorock reefs are living structures that grow back where damaged and can grow upward faster than sea level rise so they will not be overtopped like hard sea walls. The CaCO3 that grows on the structure is stronger than concrete, and the rebar is completely protected from rusting.

The estimated cost of the living breakwater is US$5000/meter versus over US$22,000/meter for traditional concrete seawall.

wdt_ID	COUNTRY	PROJECT TYPE	PROJECT STATUS	ENERGY POTENTIAL	DESCRIPTION	ESTIMATED PROJECT COST (USD)	FINANCING REQUIRED (USD)	Project Details
21	Tonga	Living breakwater using electrolytic mineral accretion system, BIOROCK®	Proposal	Not Applicable	North Tongatapu Nature-based solutions for coastal zone protection and climate adaptation: Living breakwater using electrolytic mineral accretion system.Biorock technology will be used to regenerate degraded reefs and coastlines on the island’s north coast that were damaged by the January 2022 Tsunami. The project will demonstrate an alternative and affordable option to conventional ferro-cement walls.	0	0,00
22	Tuvalu	Living breakwater using electrolytic mineral accretion system, BIOROCK®	Contract	Not Applicable	Vaiaku Nature-based solutions for coastal zone protection and climate adaptation: Living breakwater using electrolytic mineral accretion system Funafuti's main climate change vulnerabilities are from sea level rise and shoreline erosion. To reduce the threat of further sea level rise, the Government of Tuvalu, with assistance from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and partners, will construct a coastal seawall approximately 780 meters long and 100 meters wide.Unfortunately, approximately 300 meters of urban coastline will not be protected from sea level rise or erosion, leaving the population and critical infrastructure in other areas vulnerable to full impacts of sea level rise and coastal erosion. A living breakwater is proposed as a nature-based solution for the remaining 300 meters of coastline.	$ 2,500,000	0,00

PROJECT LOCATION MAP

CARRIBEAN REGION

PROJECT LOCATION MAP

PACIFIC REGION