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OceanWell and Eau d’Azur sign an MoU with a view to developing an underwater farm in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis

OceanWell and Eau d’Azur sign a memorandum of understanding — *^{Visual @ Water farm – underwater farm – All rights reserved – OceanWell}*

Team Nice Côte d’Azur supported OceanWell’s European establishment in Nice. Stefano Cimmarusti, Head of Project Development at Team Nice Côte d’Azur, supported the company’s establishment in the region. This action is part of the structuring efforts behind the blue economy led by the Nice Côte d’Azur area.
OceanWell France SAS is developing a freshwater production technology based on reverse osmosis in deep water. This solution operates at depths of more than 400 metres, without heavy surface infrastructure.
A technical partnership has been launched with the public utility Eau d’Azur. It is aimed at deploying a demonstrator underwater water farm in the Mediterranean. The project includes environmental impact studies and a marine ecosystem monitoring programme.
The choice of Nice is based on the proximity of deep waters, an international ecosystem dedicated to maritime technologies, and a local operational partnership. OceanWell plans to create 20 jobs within three years. Recruitment will mainly focus on marine engineering, underwater systems and environmental data.

OceanWell announced in January 2026 the establishment of a strategic partnership with Eau d’Azur and the location of its European headquarters in Nice, ahead of the official signing of the memorandum of understanding on 28 January 2026 (Link to the REA post).

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Official press release

OceanWell, a water technology company, and Eau d’Azur, the public utility managing water and sanitation services in the 51municipalities of the Nice Metropolis, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to conduct a first deployment of its subsea water farm technology in France.

This testing will begin this year and will evaluateOceanWell’s deep-sea freshwater harvesting technology, which operates at depths over 400 meters (1,300 feet). By harnessing natural ocean pressure to power reverse osmosis, OceanWell’s modular pods can each harvest up to 4,000m3of fresh water daily. The approach is designed to lower energy requirements compared to traditional desalination while reducing concentrated brine discharge and marine ecosystem impact.

Robert Bergstrom, CEO of OceanWell: “Securing our water future is a global challenge, and it demands solutions that work with nature rather than against it. From California to the Côte d’Azur, our subsea water farms are designed to provide a reliable climate-resilient supply without the environmental cost of traditional desalination. This partnership marks another step toward our goal of delivering sustainable water at scale to coastal communities worldwide.

Arnaud Rostan, Interim Director General at Eau d’Azur:”This agreement will give us the opportunity to develop new approaches to diversify and secure the territory’s water supply, major issues in the face of the growing challenges of climate change.”

Hervé Laubertie, CEO of Team Nice Côte d’Azur:“OceanWell’s establishment in our territory illustrates the tremendous potential of Nice Côte d’Azur in the Blue Economy. By fostering collaborations with key local players such as Régie Eau d’Azur, we can both stimulate economic growth and contribute to protecting our oceans — a priority for our region and for the planet.”

This collaboration was sparked during an economic mission to California in June 2024, where Team Nice Côte d’Azur identified the high potential of OceanWell’s groundbreaking solution for the region. With the backing of Team Nice Côte d’Azur and local partners, OceanWell selected Nice for its internationally oriented maritime technology ecosystem and its strategic technical partnership with Régie Eau d’Azur (REA). To facilitate the project, OceanWell has established its European headquarters in Nice, OceanWellFrance SAS, which has received funding support from the Business Landing program of Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur.

The collaboration with Eau d’Azur expands OceanWell’s presence beyond North America, where the company is advancing Water Farm 1 inCalifornia’s Santa Monica Bay with seven water agencies. These efforts reflectOceanWell’s mission to deploy subsea water farms that can supplement strained supplies globally.

This new site paves the way for a future MediterraneanWater Farm demonstrator designed to secure a reliable supply of high-quality fresh water while safeguarding marine biodiversity. The first deployment will run for approximately 12 months beginning in 2026 and will include an environmental impact assessment, marine ecosystem monitoring, and site-specific engineering studies to inform a potential commercial deployment between 2028and 2030.