Flocean has announced that its subsea desalination system, Flocean One, has reached "first water" and is now producing freshwater at full capacity. The system is deployed at a depth of 500 metres off the west coast of Norway.
According to the company, Flocean One is the first industrial-scale subsea desalination system in operation. Flocean said it currently has more than 15 projects under development, including partnerships with Alver Municipality in Norway and WaterConnect in the Maldives.
The system uses natural ocean pressure at depth to power the reverse osmosis process. Flocean states that this reduces energy consumption by 40 to 50 percent compared with conventional coastal desalination plants. The company says Flocean One can produce up to 1 million litres of freshwater per day, enough to supply approximately 6,000 households. It also states that the system operates without coastal land use, chemical pre-treatment, or brine discharge into shallow coastal ecosystems.
The system uses natural ocean pressure at depth to power the reverse osmosis process
Flocean says the technology is designed to address freshwater supply challenges in coastal and island regions while supporting industrial water needs. The company also states that operating offshore allows the system to avoid some of the land use and infrastructure constraints associated with conventional desalination plants.
Commenting on the milestone, Alexander Fuglesang, Founder and CEO of Flocean, said: "For decades, subsea desalination was an idea that promised to change water infrastructure. Today, it's producing drinkable water at an industrial scale with secured partnerships in place."
Sivan Zamir, Chief Innovation & Products Officer at Xylem, said the achievement provides an operational proof point that could help move commercial projects from concept to development and increase confidence in subsea desalination technology.
