Case Study
Eel Energy
Harvesting power from oceans and rivers
Partners Involved: Ocean, rivers (currents), EEL Energy, IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea), and Hutchinson (Total Group subsidiary)
Type of Partnership: Win-Neutral for Public and Planet
Partnership Models: Life Force
Such a device provides the Public with a predictable, quantifiable, localized and regular source of renewable energy without being harmful or generating any nuisance for aquatic wildlife.
Humans have long used forces of nature as a source of renewable energy (sailboats, windmills, etc.). To ensure sustainable sources of energy, innovators are still looking to collaborate with nature, such as Jean-Baptiste Drevet, and engineer and founder of French start-up EEL Energy whose ambition is to harvest untapped energy from marine currents.
Building on 20+ years of Drevet’s research on the coupling from fluids and undulating membranes, EEL Energy designed an undulating membrane inspired by fish swimming to generate electricity from marine currents.
EEL Energy’s breakthrough technology can be applied to all types of aquatic currents as the device starts-up at low fluid velocity. This means it can be installed in many more locations compared with conventional tidal turbines. In France, five locations along the north coast have been identified where the tidal membrane could produce electricity 24 hours a day, and provide the power equivalent of one nuclear reactor in an area of one square kilometre. Less expensive and more productive, the EEL energy turbine also does not produce any waste, CO2, nor visual or noise pollution.
SDGs Targeted: SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Links & Sources:
Case Study
Eel Energy
Harvesting power from oceans and rivers
Partners Involved: Ocean, rivers (currents), EEL Energy, IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea), and Hutchinson (Total Group subsidiary)
Type of Partnership: Win-Neutral for Public and Planet
Partnership Models: Life Force
Such a device provides the Public with a predictable, quantifiable, localized and regular source of renewable energy without being harmful or generating any nuisance for aquatic wildlife.
Humans have long used forces of nature as a source of renewable energy (sailboats, windmills, etc.). To ensure sustainable sources of energy, innovators are still looking to collaborate with nature, such as Jean-Baptiste Drevet, and engineer and founder of French start-up EEL Energy whose ambition is to harvest untapped energy from marine currents.
Building on 20+ years of Drevet’s research on the coupling from fluids and undulating membranes, EEL Energy designed an undulating membrane inspired by fish swimming to generate electricity from marine currents.
EEL Energy’s breakthrough technology can be applied to all types of aquatic currents as the device starts-up at low fluid velocity. This means it can be installed in many more locations compared with conventional tidal turbines. In France, five locations along the north coast have been identified where the tidal membrane could produce electricity 24 hours a day, and provide the power equivalent of one nuclear reactor in an area of one square kilometre. Less expensive and more productive, the EEL energy turbine also does not produce any waste, CO2, nor visual or noise pollution.
SDGs Targeted: SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Links & Sources: