The Polynesian company Airaro, which has worked on the three operational SWAC (Sea-Water Air Conditioning) systems globally—located in Bora Bora, Tetiaroa, and Taaone—has signed a partnership with French renewable energy heavyweight Albioma. Over the next five years, this partnership aims to construct several SWAC systems in French overseas territories. The small Papeete-based company has also been approached by the World Bank to conduct exploratory studies in the Caribbean and intends to leverage its expertise to develop seawater air conditioning systems in Grenada and the Dominican Republic.
The first commercial SWAC project in history was inaugurated in 2006 in Bora Bora. After a prolonged downtime, it now cools the Intercontinental Thalasso more efficiently than ever. Another system, inspired by Marlon Brando’s vision, gained global attention in Tetiaroa. Then came the “longest in the world” at the Taaone Hospital, which, despite administrative, technical, and judicial hurdles, ultimately convinced skeptics and investors alike. For nearly 20 years, Polynesia has been a proving ground for SWAC systems, showcasing both their potential and their challenges. Today, the technology is attracting interest far beyond Polynesia’s shores. The recent partnership between Airaro and Albioma is evidence of this growing appeal and aims to export Polynesian expertise in « blue technologies. »
The Taaone Hospital: A Turning Point for SWAC Technology
This partnership is no surprise for Airaro, a company with over a decade of experience in marine energy. Its co-founder, David Wary, oversaw the construction of the Bora Bora and Tetiaroa SWACs before maintaining them with Airaro until 2019. The Taaone project saw the company serve as project management assistant despite numerous challenges. These systems use long pipes to draw cold water from ocean depths, significantly reducing electricity costs for heavy air-conditioning consumers.
While the technology had intrigued stakeholders for years, it was the successful implementation of the SWAC at the Taaone Hospital that solidified its reputation. Unlike the pioneering Pacific Beachcomber hotels, which already had relatively low energy consumption, the hospital operated at full electricity capacity before connecting to the SWAC. According to Airaro’s CEO, Jean Hourçourigaray, the hospital now saves over 300 million CFP francs annually on electricity. This success demonstrated that public institutions could adopt this technology through public tenders and achieve substantial economic benefits, particularly for the healthcare sector.
Financial Backing and Expansion Plans
Thanks to this success, French financial institutions such as AFD, Ademe, the Caisse des Dépôts, and the national energy regulation commission have greenlit funding for Polynesian-led projects, encouraging a focus on other French overseas territories.
While SWAC is not entirely new in regions like the Caribbean or Réunion, past projects failed due to inexperience or overly ambitious plans. Hourçourigaray attributes Airaro’s success to meticulous feasibility studies and tailored solutions. The company currently has two grant applications under review—each worth about 120 million CFP francs—for feasibility studies in Réunion and Guadeloupe. Each SWAC system, costing between 4 and 6 billion CFP francs, requires a strong partner, which Albioma provides.
A leader in renewable energy, Albioma operates biomass power plants, solar parks, and geothermal units across French overseas territories and beyond. Its recent acquisition by U.S. investment fund KKR ensures robust financial backing. The partnership aims to develop SWAC projects in five years, with two already identified and others to follow.
Exploring New Horizons
The partnership with Albioma focuses on French overseas territories, leaving Airaro free to explore other markets. In 2023, the World Bank tasked the company with identifying potential SWAC projects in 17 Caribbean nations. After analyzing 25 potential sites, two projects—in Grenada and the Dominican Republic—are moving forward to more detailed and costly studies, with budgets estimated at 240 million CFP francs per project. These studies, expected to conclude within two years, will determine whether the World Bank will fund the full-scale projects.
Opportunities at Home
Despite its international ambitions, Airaro remains committed to advancing projects in Polynesia. The government’s blue economy roadmap includes SWAC development, though some projects, like a system for Papeete’s administrative district, are deemed impractical. However, future plans for the airport or a revived Tahitian Village project could incorporate SWAC systems, making them 75% reliant on renewable energy.
Pioneering Blue Technologies
Airaro also aims to lead in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), a sister technology to SWAC. The construction of a demonstration OTEC unit is a government priority, though Airaro prefers to leap directly to a production facility. The company plans to rebuild its workforce, which dwindled during COVID, to expand its expertise in SWAC and beyond, reinforcing Polynesia’s position as a leader in blue technologies.
