Maldives Explores Subsea Desalination with 500-Metre Deep Water Sampling
- Flocean's technical team completed deep-water sampling at 500 metres off the Maldives coast, facilitated by Water Solutions, as part of a subsea desalination feasibility study.
- MWSC announced the milestone on 15 October 2026, noting exceptional sample clarity, and will conduct laboratory testing to verify quality for feed water use.
- Flocean's subsea reverse osmosis pods operate at 300-600 metres using natural hydrostatic pressure, cutting energy use by 50 per cent and coastal land use by 95 per cent.
A specialist technical team from Flocean has completed deep-water sampling off the coast of the Maldives as part of an ongoing feasibility study into subsea desalination technology.
Engineers extracted seawater samples from a depth of 500 metres below sea level during the operation, which local environmental consultancy firm Water Solutions facilitated.
The Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) announced the milestone on 15 October 2026, noting that the extracted samples exhibited exceptional clarity.
MWSC will now subject the samples to comprehensive laboratory testing. The assessments aim to verify whether the deep-sea water meets the stringent quality and purity standards necessary for feed water in subsea desalination systems.
Norwegian cleantech company Flocean develops subsea reverse osmosis technology designed to operate directly on the ocean floor. By placing modular desalination pods at depths of 300 to 600 metres, the system harnesses natural hydrostatic ocean pressure to drive the filtration process, eliminating the need for energy-intensive surface pumps. This approach cuts energy consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to conventional land-based plants, eliminates chemical pre-treatment, and reduces coastal land usage by up to 95 per cent.
