US backs wave energy-powered desalination projects with $2M 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) has allocated nearly $2 million to two university-led projects to advance wave-powered desalination technology.

According to the U.S. DOE, the funding supports research at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota to harness wave energy for producing clean drinking water, address water scarcity in coastal communities, and aid disaster relief efforts.

“The United States holds tremendous wave energy resources that can be harnessed to produce clean drinking water and support coastal energy needs as well as power offshore work and electricity grids,” said WPTO Director Matthew Grosso. 

“These projects will advance systems to produce drought-resistant drinking water for coastal communities and in disaster-relief situations.”

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, will focus on developing a desalination system powered by hydraulics rather than electricity, the U.S. DOE noted. This system uses the movement and pressure of water to filter seawater into drinkable water, to enhance efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis will work on a dual-function power take-off (PTO) system designed to convert wave energy into both electricity and hydraulic pressure.

According to the U.S. DOE, this innovation will allow the system to produce clean drinking water and support auxiliary processes in larger utility-scale desalination plants. The project involves collaboration with the University of Michigan and Novus Technical Services.

These efforts are part of the WPTO’s Marine Energy Systems Innovation at Sea funding program. While seven projects were initially awarded funding in July 2023, these two were selected later due to the availability of additional resources.

According to the U.S. DOE, the U.S. wave energy resource is vast, with the potential to meet 34% of the nation’s electricity needs. Even capturing a fraction of this could contribute to the U.S. energy mix while providing sustainable solutions for clean water production. 

A recent study suggests that wave energy could match the cost-efficiency of offshore wind by the 2030s in favorable locations. This could be an important development for densely populated or onshore-constrained regions as they look to reduce dependence on energy imports.

In a related development, the DOE recently allocated over $18 million to support 27 R&D projects focused on advancing marine energy and offshore wind technologies. WPTO also initiated short courses in marine energy through the Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) and other National Marine Energy Centers.

Additionally, WPTO unveiled in late November the winners of the first phase of its Power at Sea Prize, distributing $200,000 to 20 teams for marine energy concepts designed to power ocean-based activities.