Innovations

Starting the business in 2014, Oceanus aimed to deliver effective energy storage systems in light of the increasing solar energy in California, however, soon realized that a new approach was needed to more effectively and profitably work with seawater pumped hydro. This led the company to the idea of combining pump hydro with desalination plants to achieve greater positive effects for the environment that at the same time also are more profitable and cost-efficient than only employing one of the technologies. Developing this idea gave rise to the Integrated Pumped Hydro Reverse Osmosis Clean Energy System (IPHROCES) in 2016. Following the process of IPHROCES, seawater is pumped to an upper water reservoir only when renewable or excess energy is available and then used to produce fresh water and hydropower. A part of the water goes to the desalination plant without any further extra energy needed due to gravity. The resulting brine from the process is blended with outflows from the turbines, where the energized water goes to produce energy, to decrease the impacts on marine life by low salinity concentration.

The advantages of combining the technologies for more effective energy and water supply with lower operating expenses and higher environmental benefits are big and the system can be installed in various locations if provided with sufficient elevation. By identifying suitable locations first in California and Mexico, followed by Chile, Oceanus led the way to start off with their technology and applied for permission processes. Moreover, the company got its patent issued in 2020 and hopes to start building its facilities in the near future to create positive impacts for communities and the environment in terms of resilient water and energy supply.