Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Database

2009-01-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has provided a Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Database to be shared by industry and government. From the site:

The Database, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, is a central repository of in-depth information and data on marine and hydrokinetic technology, companies, and projects being developed in the United States and abroad. The Database includes information on the location, application, nameplate capacity, stage and status of various companies’ technologies and projects.

U.S. Navy uses OTEC to cut energy consumption

2008-12-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

In an article posted by the Environmental Leader, the United States Navy has cuts its energy consumption by 12 percent this year using conservation and alternative fuel sources, one of which being OTEC. This makes sense given the necessity of locating naval bases on shorelines and particularly islands, where import of fossil fuels is more expensive.

The move is seen as a step for the entire Department of Defense's internal goal to generate 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025.

Technical Paper on SOTEC

2008-11-25T06:13:00.000-08:00

Dr. Noboru Yamada, from Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan, wrote a conference paper regarding an enhancement of OTEC power generation using solar. Called SOTEC, the modelling indicates that an OTEC's efficiency can be increased 1.5 times using solar power.

This seems to me to be a no-brainer. Every OTEC island drawing up cold sea water from below should have solar panels absorbing sunlight from above and turbines harvesting wind from the sides. Energy flows in all directions.

New Scientist article extols OTEC

2008-11-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

"Plumbing the oceans could bring limitless clean energy"
19 November 2008 by Phil McKenna

FOR a company whose business is rocket science Lockheed Martin has been paying unusual attention to plumbing of late. The aerospace giant has kept its engineers occupied for the past 12 months poring over designs for what amounts to a very long fibreglass pipe.

It is, of course, no ordinary pipe but an integral part of the technology behind Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), a clean, renewable energy source that has the potential to free many economies from their dependence on oil.

Hawaii signs OTEC deal with Taiwan

2008-11-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hawaii governor Linda Lingle announced a new partnership during a visit in Taiwan last week. The plan will be to build a 10-megawatt OTEC pilot plant in Hawaii to help satisfy the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. The system will be supported by both Lockheed Martin and the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Hawaii currently relies on imported fossil fuel for 94% of its energy needs. Taiwan's situation is even more precarious--just one percent of it energy is produced by indigenent sources. The OTEC is one step in a broad plan to both conserve, enhance, and produce renewable energy.

Creating Green Hydrogen with OTEC

2008-11-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

Neal Rauhauser of the Cutting Edge has written a basic informational piece on creating 'green hydrogen' (hydrogen made with renewable electricity) using OTEC.

Hydrogen is growing as a powerful energy source, but it's difficult to extract and once obtained, it's difficult to store, transport, and work with. Ammonia is a carbon-free hydrogen carrier that can make working with hydrogen much easier, such that we can power vehicles with ammonia fuel.

But where to get the power to do this? Among other sources, from OTEC, of course. Rauhauser correctly points out that solar power can only work when the sun is shining, and a wind power site is considered excellent if it works 40% of the time, but an OTEC is online and working 24/7.

"Oceanasphere" Fish Farm

2008-10-28T13:43:00.001-07:00

Hawaii Oceanic Technology has developed the Oceanasphere, a 162-foot diameter fish farm that runs on OTEC to generate clean energy for its seafood harvesting.

Mankind was able to make a fundamental leap when it ended relying strictly on hunting-and-gathering methods for finding food and land and instead developed agriculture. A cultivated square mile of land is able to support far more people than the same square mile used for only hunting and gathering.

However, we still have a hunter-and-gatherer mentality when it comes to the food resources of the ocean. Every day ships with nets trawl the waters, hunting schools and gathering them up for consumption. Traditional fish farms have had limited success due to a necessary proximity to shorelines which prohibit the raising of certain kinds of fish and crustaceans.

Floating islands, however, can be planted where the harvesting is best. With OTEC and other alternative energy sources, they can be self-sufficient and even profitable, selling home-grown fish to nearby population centers that have fished out their natural supplies.

UltraFuture Presents Energy Island at Green Tech Summit

2008-10-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

UltraFuture, a global thinktank announced that they are supporting a concept called Energy Islands, described as "Modular man-made islands featuring sustainable, high-output power generation and water desalination facilities."

The islands are floating renewable energy platforms utilizing a variety of clean alternative energy sources including Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion. Each island can be as large as 1 square kilometer and generate up to 250 megawatts of electricity for local use and export. An estimated 50,000 Energy Islands would entirely meet the world's current energy needs, eliminating the need to build a single polluting land-based power plant.

UltraFuture plans to reveal more information at the US-China Green Tech Summit in Shanghai on November 12-14.

Published Resource for OTEC

2008-10-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to find current published resources regarding OTEC. Barnes & Noble.com has just two listings. The first, Renewable Energy from the Ocean: A Guide to OTEC, written by William Avery and Chih Wu, is published by the Johns Hopkins University in 1994, and is based on development initiatives undertaken from 1974 through 1985.

The second listing at BN.com is Water for Energy: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Wave, Tidal, OTEC and Small Scale Hydro Energy published by the British Hydromechanics Research Association in 1986, and appears to be out of print.

Lockheed Set to Tap Ocean Thermal Energy

2008-10-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

The New York Times reported that a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy has been awarded to Lockheed Martin to demonstrate the viability of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion. Lockheed will focus on the problem of drawing cold deep water to the surface using fiberglass and cheap material manufacturing to construct cold-water pipes.

New joint venture to study OTEC in Tahiti

2008-10-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

A new joint venture between Xenesis and the Pacific Petroleum Company Group was announced in August 2008. The new company, called "Xenesis Pacific Research & Services, S.A.S." will work to develop commercial and technical studies realizing Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion in French Polynesia, New Caldonia, and Vanuatu.