Resolute Marine Energy: Power in Waves

Alforque, Wyndelle C.

Saludares, Stephany B.

Resolute Marine Energy: Power in Waves

(Case Study)

II. Summary of the Case

“Working in ocean energy is only an engineering challenge. It’s not a science challenge the way so many renewable energy technologies are. For ocean energy, it’s about building something e that stays put and operates reliably for a period of time and ultimately produces what we call a levelized cost of energy that’s comparative.  And  one  of  the  impediments  is  that  there  haven’t  been  enough  devices deployed to really start exploring how inexpensive they can get. We’re the wind industry 10 or 20 years ago, depending on whether you’re an optimist or pessimist” according to the CEO of the Resolute Marine Energy Bill Staby.

In the province of the KwaZulu-Natal on South Africa’s East Coast, there were 700,000 people living in the municipality of Ugu. The potable drinking water was so costly it is about $1.00/m3 after the government subsidy of $0.50.

The founder and CEO of the Resolute Marine Energy Bill Staby and Chief Operating Officer Oliver Ceberio believe in their wave-driven desalination system would provide a community like Ugu with much cheaper water using the Wave2OTM. It is renewable energy in the form of ocean waves and made up of three components. First the off-shore oscillating WEC then the second component was the flow smoother/pressure intensifier. The final component was the desalination plant. The RME was one step closer to make their vision in the reality since the Development Bank of South Africa expressed interest in funding the Wave2OTM.

Staby and Ceberio were debating on what approach they should take to commercialize its technology. First approach is developing a wave-driven desalination system that required electricity to power the desalination plant. The RME spent almost five years experimenting with wave-energy-produced electricity. This was probably the easiest approach because most of the desalination system was powered by electricity. It was also possible due to the availability of the US government grants wave energy-generated electricity and successful in getting grants from Department of Energy and Department of Interior.

The second approach is using hydraulic power to operate the desalination plant. It was more bit complicated than the first due to that it would require private sector investor and a desalination partner. In United States the private sector was usually investing in the wave energy-generated electricity. This kind of approach was cleaner option since the diluted brine would send back to the ocean and not be disposed in land. It was more efficient due to the less energy conversion would require.

The third approach was bit more ambitious. It is developing all in one solution the development of the black box. Once it is successful it would financially rewarding. RME would be selling fresh water but also they can produce electricity. It also it advantage that it would not be a victim of “plug and play”. The entire system would enable RME optimize the wave-driven desalination technology at a system level and create new sources of innovation and IP. This strategy is complicated than the other approach since it would require desalination partner and require more money.