Project presentation

EuroSwac is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, total budget of €3.5 million, including ERDF fund of €2.3 million.  

AIMS: EUROSWAC aims at designing and validating an innovative, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solution for cooling production, using English Channel’s seawater (widely available renewable energy source) as refrigerant, exploiting temperature difference between cold ocean water and external air temperature.  

MOTIVATIONS : While the need for cooling in large coastal cities is increasing at UK-FR levels (due to climate change crease), cooling is still mainly produced through chillers, a technology using large amounts of electricity generated partially by fossil fuels, slowing down the ability to meet Channel Area (CA) energy-climate objectives. EUROSWAC demonstrates the ability of using the Channel seawater for free cooling, adapting an existing technology used in tropical areas to the low depth and temperate climate of CA. 

PARTNERSHIP: Building on complementary expertise of 11 UK-FR partners from the academic and industrial fields and on the analysis of Channel’s unique features, EUROSWAC aims to develop and test in real life conditions a SWAC prototype at the Brixham laboratory and National Lobster Hatchery in UK. This shallow-water based SWAC system will be the first to support enhancing aquaculture food-stock, which will represent major benefits in regards to CO2 emissions, lifespan and costs compared to existing solutions.