Alternative Profits Blog
Ocean Thermal Technology - Opportunities, Trends and Challenges
DefinitionOcean thermal energy conversion (OTEC or OTE) is a method for generating electricity which uses the temperature difference that exists between deep and shallow waters to run a heat engine.
Market Need
A process that can utilize low cost unutilized sources of energy from oceans
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Trends
• There are at least two distinct markets for OTEC: (i) industrialized nations and islands; and, (ii) smaller or less industrialized islands with modest needs for power and desalinated water.
• Small OTEC plants can be sized to produce from 1 MW to 10 MW of electricity, and at least 1700 m3 to 3500 m3 of desalinated water per day. Larger OTEC or hybrid cycle plants can be used in either market for producing electricity and water.
• The European Energy Association states that ‘the global theoretical potential of ocean energy has been estimated over 100.000 TWh/year’ (for reference, the world’s electricity consumption was around 16.000 TWh/year in 2008).
• For ocean thermal energy, the global technical resource exploitable with today’s technology is estimated to be in the order of 33,000 TWh/year.(2009)
posted by Ecacofonix at
6:27 AM
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
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