Shoot for the Moon

Shoot for the

Moon CFK students’ “Neptune Rising” wins national Marine Energy Collegiate Competition “Moonshot” award.

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars,” so goes the quote from famed motivational speaker Les Brown.

Eleven CFK students aimed straight for the proverbial moon with their bold entry in the first-ever “Powering the Blue Economy” national Marine Energy Collegiate Competition. Their “Neptune Rising” proposal conceptualizes a massive floating power production and aquaculture (fish farming) operation that could generate $15 billion in revenue, light up most of south Florida with clean power, and alleviate multiple environmental problems along the way. The CFK team — the only team from a state college — beat out top-name research universities to win the “‘Moonshot’ award” for their design.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the contest was created to encourage bright young minds to develop theoretical technology to power the emerging “blue economy,” a term that refers to the interplay between economic, social, and ecological sustainability of the ocean.

Under the mentorship of CFK Chief Science & Research Officer Dr. Patrick Rice and Hydrokinetic Energy Corp. CEO Walter Schurtenberger, a cross-section of students — specializing in renewable energy engineering, marine science, aquaculture, and business — collaborated over the course of eight months on the project. They set out to address multiple ecological problems: climate change and ocean acidification caused by fossil fuel production; damages to the marine ecosystem caused by poorly-managed offshore aquaculture; and the growing need for sustainable global food production.

Their work began with numerous group meetings on the Key West Campus, but the pandemic forced them to utilize technology to unite online to complete the project. Despite the challenges, the team fine-tuned operation details, engineered equipment, estimated energy and aquaculture production output, and calculated financial projections. Their ultimate Neptune Rising proposal addresses each problem they set out to alleviate and with an initial estimated startup cost of $900 million, the operation would turn a profit of $15 billion after 30 years (the expected lifespan of the man-made offshore floating facility).

AQUACULTURE

The marine aquaculture component in Neptune Rising would allow the cultivation of multiple fish and organisms in a single, integrated system where one species feeds off the waste of the other, exactly like in nature.

CORAL AQUACULTURE

Research by Madeline Ticer (AS, Marine Env Tech)

Multiple species of coral raised would be donated to local coral reef restoration and sold in the aquarium trade

Estimated annual revenue: $6.7M tax write-off

SEAWEED SECTOR

Research by Jesse Appelhans (AS, Marine Env Tech ’20)

Seaweed would provide food for the fish, system filtering, and would be sold as a methane-reducing feed for cattle farming

Estimated annual revenue: $46M

PEARL OYSTER CULTURE

Research by Sarah Dunlop (AS, Marine Env Tech)

Oysters filter the system while their meat would feed the fish and their pearls would be sold to jewelers

Estimated annual revenue: $23.2M

BLUEFIN TUNA

Research by Jaqueline Howell (AS, Marine Env Tech ‘20) and Travis Knorr (AS, Marine Env Tech ’18; BS, Marine Res Mgt)

Bluefin Tuna, the most valuable fish in the sea, would be sold to seafood markets

Estimated annual revenue: $25.3M

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Neptune Rising is designed to harness multiple forms of marine renewable energy to generate enough clean power to run the entire operation AND light up the entire Florida Keys and much of South Florida.

HYDROKINETIC ENERGY CONVERTERS

Research by Cody Moore (AS, Eng Tech- Ren Energy ’20) and Jason Heath (AS, Eng Tech- Ren Energy)

Two converters, one submerged and the other above the surface, are capable of a continuous output of 23 MW of electricity

Estimated annual revenue: $38.7M

The CFK student-created Neptune Rising project conceptualizes an offshore marine aquaculture (fish farming) and power production operation. The 600-meter by 125-meter floating facility is designed to function in the waters of the Florida Current, approximately 35 kilometers due south of Key West, FL.

OCEANIC THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (OTEC)

Research by Travis Knorr (AS, Marine Env Tech ’18; BS, Marine Res Mgt), Jason Heath (AS, Eng Tech- Ren Energy), and Dr. Patrick Rice (CFK Chief Science & Research Officer)

Capable of over 100 MW of continuous electric energy output

Estimated annual revenue: $124.2M

OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY AND SOLAR

Research by Heidi Sequeira (AS, Eng Tech- Ren Energy ’20) and Brian DeSanti (former CFK Research Assistant and Ph.D. student at Texas Tech University)

Wind and solar will offset operational energy needs

Estimated annual revenue: $540K