Zyba is a clean-tech company that
transforms the energy in ocean waves to rapidly grow artificial coral
reefs. These reefs not only enrich marine ecosystems, they also provide
much needed coastal protection and boost economies through tourism.
Zyba’s core technology is an ultra-light-weight wave energy converter
called CCell, which moves with the waves to generate electricity. A
portion of this energy is used locally to run a low-voltage, safe
electrolytic process, which results in mineral accretion around a steel
structure. This process, known as BioRock, was pioneered by Zyba’s
partners at the Global Coral Reef Alliance (GCRA) and enables the growth
of reefs in any shape or size from natural seawater minerals. In
tropical waters, the process can enhance coral growth rates by 5 to 8
times compared to nature. These reefs grow to provide long-term coastal
protection, acting as dynamic breakwaters with self-healing
characteristics.
In a single solution, Zyba and the GCRA offer coastal communities and
remote islands coastal protection, coral reefs for tourism and marine
renewable energy.
The
system has been introduced within a number of key locations including
Mexico, the Caribbean and Indonesia, and has received widespread
interest. Over the course of the RAEng 1851 Enterprise Fellowship, Tara
will continue to work with customers and local governments to bring the
solution to market. The company’s initial market focus is the tourism
sector, providing beach protection and dive attractions for resorts.
Zyba is deploying their first-off fully integrated pilot in Mexico, which will serve as a demonstration to local hotels.
