Sustainable Innovation in la Martinique: BIOfouling Solution for clean Energy

ended

Many industries use sea water in thermodynamic processes. This is particularly the case of OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) energy which uses the difference of temperature between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater. Biofouling is one of the main problems faced by seawater systems and especially heat exchangers. The objectives of the project SIMBIOSE are: • to optimise the biocide dosing in order to decrease the environmental impact of the electrochlorination • to test innovative antifouling solution such as ozonation • to assess the potential of biotechnology by integration of biopolymers that could reduce the quantity of biocides. • to assess the environmental impact of all solutions • to evaluate the development of marine growth on innovative heat exchangers technologies • to extrapolate the results to a full-scale OTEC plant in order to achieve TRL9 required for the technology deployment. The overall objective is to achieve a significative CAPEX reduction for a full-scale OTEC plant of 5% by the downsizing of the antibiofouling equipment and the increase of net energy production that reduces the associated financial cost. These improvements on biofouling treatment solutions will have two positive effects: • A reduced environmental impact in a context of increasingly restrictive environmental legislation as well as a stronger awareness of the population on the necessity to protect seas and oceans, the SIMBIOSE project can contribute to a better social acceptability of technologies such as OTEC. • The solutions developed within the project will contribute to maintain heat exchangers’ energy performance. To a greater extent, the solutions developed within the SIMBIOSE project will have a significative impact on the CAPEX and OPEX of OTEC plants but also opens business opportunities towards other sectors, such as the oil and gas, the naval industry, desalinisation plants, etc.