This desalination technology offers a practical drinking-water solution while tackling environmental concerns
Desalination plants provide drinking water in places where it is scarce, yet they often come with drawbacks: heavy fossil-fuel use, sizable emissions, and the disposal of hypersaline brine that can threaten marine ecosystems. A California-based company has introduced a portable, modular, and environmentally friendly desalination system designed to minimize these issues often associated with traditional purification methods.
Oneka Technologies markets three floating dock models that function like buoys, with variations in size and capacity. The largest model, named the Iceberg, measures about 6.5 meters in length. A key advantage shared by all models is their ability to harvest energy from ocean waves to power their operation.
As the desalination float rides the swell, water is drawn through a filtration stage and then passes through a reverse osmosis membrane that removes salts and other microscopic contaminants.
This device can generate up to 53,000 liters of freshwater per day. Dragan Tutic, founder and director of Oneka Technologies, notes that the compact design allows it to serve roughly 43 mid-sized homes. Beyond single units, the system is modular, enabling the addition of more units to raise overall throughput.
The first version debuted in 2016 and has seen ongoing refinements. A major challenge was ensuring the equipment could withstand wave impact during storms. The latest generation, including the Iceberg, can endure waves up to six meters high and is designed for quick disassembly and reassembly under harsher conditions.
The equipment remains anchored at the seabed and is designed to operate with an average two-meter wave height. It absorbs energy from passing waves and converts it into mechanical pumping force. After filtration by osmosis, the water is pumped to the mainland via high-density polyethylene pipes, using the wave energy to assist the process.
Like all desalination operations, Oneka’s systems produce brine, but the brine is produced at very low concentration, and company leadership states that it has a minimal impact on ocean ecosystems when properly managed.
Made from recycled materials
The Iceberg model is built using recycled plastic bottles, with about 170,000 bottles used for each unit. This material choice helps keep plastic waste out of landfills and reduces broader environmental impact, according to the company’s leadership.
With regular maintenance—roughly three to seven visits per year—each Iceberg module can remain in active service for 15 to 20 years.
Clearly, standalone units may not meet large-scale drinking-water needs unless deployed in greater numbers. Oneka is pursuing a broader, public-service scale design that could dramatically increase output. The Glacier Class is planned to produce about ten times more water than the Iceberg model and is expected to enter the market by late 2023.
The Glacier Class is slated to be tested in a coastal town with around 4,000 residents along Barrington, Nova Scotia, Canada, as part of its field trials.
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Note: This article describes a technology transformation in portable desalination and its potential role in regional water security, particularly in North America where water stress remains a concern for communities and industries alike.