Following on from our successful Concept Stage prize. Colloide are delighted to be successful in the Design phase of the #WavestoWater prize. Alongside our partners Pure Marine specialists in wave energy we were able to apply our water treatment expertise to create an innovative wave-powered desalination system. Our team ‘Sea Potential’ now progress to the next stage the ‘adapt’ phase.
What is the Waves to Water Prize?
The Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a new prize, aligned with the recently announced Water Security Grand Challenge.
The Waves to Water prize is a 4-Stage competition that offers up to $2.5 million in cash prizes, with a goal to demonstrate small, modular, cost-competitive desalination systems that use the power of ocean waves to provide clean drinking water for disaster recovery and for remote and coastal communities.
What did the Design phase involve?
In the Design Stage we developed a technical plan and supporting analysis of our wave-powered desalination system. Focusing on two major components:
(1) A detailed design of our wave-powered desalination system, including modelling to support claims of performance if a prototype of the system is built; and
(2) a plan to build a prototype of our system, including how major risks would be addressed.
Positive feedback from the Design Phase:
‘a competitive and longer-term solution’
‘the team seems well qualified with a long history of success’
‘innovation and potential’
What’s next?
We will now take on the ‘adapt’ stage where we will be challenged to design a flexible system to meet site conditions at Jennette’s Pier in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and will have 180 days to prepare the submission.