Partnership expands OceanWell’s global work to deliver sustainable water in coastal regions
OceanWell, a water technology company, and Eau d’Azur, the public utility managing water and sanitation services in the 51 municipalities of the Nice Metropolis, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to conduct a first deployment of its subsea water farm technology in France.
This testing will begin this year and will evaluate OceanWell’s deep-sea freshwater harvesting technology, which operates at depths over 400 meters (1,300 feet). By harnessing natural ocean pressure to power reverse osmosis, OceanWell’s modular pods can each harvest up to 4,000m3 of fresh water daily. The approach is designed to lower energy requirements compared to traditional desalination while reducing concentrated brine discharge and marine ecosystem impact.
Robert Bergstrom, CEO of OceanWell: “Securing our water future is a global challenge, and it demands solutions that work with nature rather than against it. From California to the Côte d’Azur, our subsea water farms are designed to provide a reliable climate-resilient supply without the environmental cost of traditional desalination. This partnership marks another step toward our goal of delivering sustainable water at scale to coastal communities worldwide.
Arnaud Rostan, Interim Director General at Eau d’Azur: “This agreement will give us the opportunity to develop new approaches to diversify and secure the territory’s water supply, major issues in the face of the growing challenges of climate change.”
Hervé Laubertie, CEO of Team Nice Côte d’Azur: “OceanWell’s establishment in our territory illustrates the tremendous potential of Nice Côte d’Azur in the Blue Economy. By fostering collaborations with key local players such as Régie Eau d’Azur, we can both stimulate economic growth and contribute to protecting our oceans — a priority for our region and for the planet.”
This collaboration was sparked during an economic mission to California in June 2024, where Team Nice Côte d’Azur identified the high potential of OceanWell’s groundbreaking solution for the region. With the backing of Team Nice Côte d’Azur and local partners, OceanWell selected Nice for its internationally oriented maritime technology ecosystem and its strategic technical partnership with Régie Eau d’Azur (REA). To facilitate the project, OceanWell has established its European headquarters in Nice, OceanWell France SAS, which has received funding support from the Business Landing program of Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur.
The collaboration with Eau d’Azur expands OceanWell’s presence beyond North America, where the company is advancing Water Farm 1 in California’s Santa Monica Bay with seven water agencies. These efforts reflect OceanWell’s mission to deploy subsea water farms that can supplement strained supplies globally.
This new site paves the way for a future Mediterranean Water Farm demonstrator designed to secure a reliable supply of high-quality freshwater while safeguarding marine biodiversity. The first deployment will run for approximately 12 months beginning in 2026 and will include an environmental impact assessment, marine ecosystem monitoring, and site-specific engineering studies to inform a potential commercial deployment between 2028 and 2030.
