In a nutshell

DesaLIFE pioneers grid-independent, wave-powered desalination buoys that transform seawater into drinking water, with zero direct CO₂ emissions. This modular solution empowers islands and coastal regions to secure freshwater, decarbonize supply, and safeguard marine ecosystems, built for replication and scale.

Why it matters

Conventional desalination is energy-intensive, carbon-heavy, and land-demanding. DesaLIFE addresses all these challenges by:

• Harnessing renewable wave energy.
• Minimizing onshore footprint.
• Embedding biodiversity safeguards.

All fully aligned with the European Green Deal, EU Biodiversity Strategy, and Circular Economy Action Plan.

What’s innovative

• Off-grid, CO₂-free desalination buoy, validated at pilot scale.
• Modular, scalable units tailored to community needs.
• Data-driven performance & environmental monitoring for informed deployment.
• Public-private partnership with local authorities, water utilities, and research bodies in the Canary Islands.

Who’s involved

A strong local consortium, including the Island Water Council and Gran Canaria institutions, ensures:

• Regulatory insight
• Community acceptance
• Pathways to municipal water integration

Expected impact & KPIs

• Renewable energy avoided by buoys (GWh/year).
• Freshwater delivered to municipalities; operational efficiency.
• CO₂ avoided vs. grid-powered desalination; energy use per m³ reduced.
• Marine biodiversity preserved (environmental assessments).
• Land take minimized through offshore siting.
• Socio-economic benefits tracked via stakeholder feedback.

How we de-risk delivery

• Early permitting and close coordination with authorities.
• Phased implementation to manage marine variability and material/corrosion risks.
• Research partnerships tackling technical challenges with rigorous data collection.

Built to spread

Replication is core:

• Open dissemination (website, publications, events).
• Replicable KPI framework so other islands and coastal regions can adopt wave-powered desalination confidently.

After-LIFE & next steps

• Commercial rollout by Ocean Oasis, integrated into existing water systems.
• Scale-up from pilot buoy to multi-unit arrays and expansion to other islands.
• Policy influence: building an evidence base for renewable desalination strategies across outermost and coastal regions.

LIFE success

Turning ocean waves into reliable, low-impact drinking water, powering climate-resilient communities, one buoy at a time.