World Ocean Day 2021: Sustainable Ocean Alliance collaborating with the Solar Impulse Foundation

To celebrate this World Ocean Day, the Solar Impulse Foundation (SIF) announces today its new collaboration with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA). 

This joint work will allow both organizations to join forces and bring next-gen leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates, mentors, and partners together to create and deploy solutions for the largest challenges facing our ocean.

Why this partnership?

Mission number 1: scouting together start-ups developing scalable solutions addressing the targets of UN SDG14. Indeed, in building its exhaustive portfolio of Efficient Solutions, SIF would like to include more solutions in the ocean-tech sector. As of today, about 1,000 solutions have been labeled and certified as being credible, protecting the environment and profitable; but only about 30 of those Labeled Solutions are closely related to the Ocean-tech sector. Mission number 2: supporting joint advocacy and representation to make sure corporations and governments take more ambitious targets, and most importantly, adopt solutions now. SIF will access SOA’s networks and market insights that can support high level discussions amongst governments and corporate partners. SOA will use SIF expertise to continue to find new ways to inspire its audiences with thought leaders and innovators at their events globally. Therefore, the basis of the SIF and SOA partnership is to provide each other with access to networks, and insights to support both organization goals. 

As usual at the Solar Impulse Foundation, today we would prefer to talk about solutions, rather than problems, zooming in on some solutions from our portfolio. 

Zoom on Labeled Ocean-tech Solutions 

We’ll first look at how innovations can help improve marine biodiversity and clean the ocean. Then we’ll discover how we can harness ocean’s energy to be part of the energy mix in the future, and finally zoom in solutions that can support travel and freight on ocean while respecting it.

Coral vita 

It is estimated that 500 million people worldwide depend on coral reefs for food, income, coastal protection and more. However, in the last 30 years 50% of coral reefs has died or been severally damaged. It is a crucial mission to protect reefs and grow them again. Coral Vita has developed a solution allowing to grow coral reefs up to 50 times quicker in their land-based farms, while also enhancing the coral’s resiliency to warming and acidifying oceans. This solution developed in The Bahamas is leading the way in improving marine biodiversity. 

Ccell renewables 

Ccell is another alternative to recreate coral reefs directly into the ocean. CCell builds artificial reefs from recycled rebar, mimicking the shapes and properties of naturally occurring reefs. 

This technology harnesses the movement of waves to create electricity in the bars. This produces a chemical reaction within the seawater that causes limestone rock to form around the reef structure.  This rock provides a foundation for coral restoration and marine wildlife while strengthening the defensive properties of the reefs. This solution can be customised for a given aera. Local expertise, coral out-planting and education initiatives can support and boost this solution. 

CollectiX

Every year, eleven million tons of plastic waste are discharged into the oceans. It is a main challenge to overcome to get cleaner oceans. This solution combines the use of a boat and a drone, working together to identify waste hotspots and collect it in an efficient way. The boat can collect up to 20 tons of garbage daily. In addition, the boat carries sensors allowing to collect data, crucial information for research. The collected plastic is recycled and can be used to manufacture products or building materials. This system acts in respect of the biodiversity. For instance, if a fish gets onto the conveyor belts, it can escape to the side by its own movement.   This kind of innovation can prevent costs for damage per ton of plastic, which would be the equivalent of $237.6 million per year saved. 

Eco wave power 

Waves and tides make the ocean an interesting source of energy on the planet. Converting this energy in a sustainable manner will play a major role in diversifying the energy mix and making it greener (or bluer!). Eco wave power is a wave energy device that can harness the energy from the waves next to the shores. Since 2/3 of the world population lives next to a shore, implementing this solution next to shorelines would give a direct energy access to the demand. The price of electricity would be similar to wind energy. Finally, acting only on the shorelines and the surface of the water, this device does not have a negative impact on the biodiversity. 

Bound4blue

The shipping industry transports 90% of the world’s cargo, causing huge pollution in the ocean. There is an urge to decrease this sector’s impact on the oceans. Bound4blue has created a foldable wing sail inspired from aviation technology that can help maintain the ship speed with reduced engine propulsion, lowering the emission by 10 to 30%. It is a flexible system: foldable and self-orientating. It does not affect the cargo capability and is low maintenance. The payback period depending on the ship’s size is estimated to be under 5 years. 

This is a non-exhaustive list of Labeled Solutions below: