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Principle of Operation and Developer

• The OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) technology produces electricity with the temperature difference between warm and cold seawater. Cold water is drawn with a large diameter pipe from depths of a 1,000 meters or more in the ocean. Meanwhile, warm sea water is drawn from near the surface of the ocean.

• Following the Rankine thermodynamic closed cycle, the warm sea water is passed through an evaporator (heat exchanger) with a chemical that has a low boiling point, like ammonia, which creates chemical steam that operates an electric turbine. The ammonia is then condensed back to liquid form with the cold sea water.

• Scientists and Engineers have entertained the idea of OTEC since the 19th century and the American company, Lockheed Martin created a working model during the 1970s energy crisis.

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Best Locations for OTEC Technology

• The multiproduct and multifunctional OTEC technology is best suited for equatorial waters in countries like Nigeria where the average surface temperature of the Atlantic ocean is in excess of 25oC throughout the year.

• Nigeria satisfies all the four requirements for favorable sites for OTEC System. These are:– High thermal differences between the warm surface and the

cold deep water– Low velocity water currents– Low frequency and severity of storms, hurricanes and

typhoons.– Proximity to the market for OTEC products.

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BENEFITS (Contd.)

Benefits and Opportunities of OTEC Systems

OTEC is in many ways a very attractive solution to US energy issues (Energy Security, Price Volatility, Unsustainable Supply, Climate Change, and Environmental Risks):

Immense Resource: OTEC is solar power, using the oceans as a thermal storage system for 24-hour production. Unlike other renewable energies, the maximum available energy from OTEC is not limited by land, shorelines, water, environmental impact, human impact, etc.

Baseload Power: OTEC produces electricity continuously, 24 hours a day throughout the entire year. Other renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and wave are not baseload and require storage of this energy during peak hours for later consumption, which is one of the major hurdles for these technologies.

Security: OTEC offers the opportunity of tapping an immense energy resource that is not controlled by other nations.

Renewable: OTEC is conservatively believed to be sustainable at four or more times man's current total electrical energy production.

Clean Energy: OTEC has the potential of being a very clean alternative energy – unique for a firm power source capable of providing massive energy needs. The environmental risk with OTEC is very low.

Offshore: OTEC production occurs offshore. Land resources are not needed other than for on-shore landing. OTEC is not competing for other vital resources such as food and fresh water.

Low Risk: Conventional Closed Cycle OTEC is a low-risk

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BENEFITS (Contd.)• The slightly warmer deep seawater that is brought to the surface is nutrient

rich and can be used for various aquaculture applications (including production of algae-based biofuels) or for cold water agriculture. This currently is happening at NELHA at Keahole Point on Oahu and there are a number of other areas (including Nigeria) where this could be employed.

• The large volume of sea water can be used to produce fresh, potable water. About 2 million liters of fresh water per day is produced for each megawatt of electricity generated.

• The OTEC power plant can also be used to manufacture on Board energy –intensive products such as aluminum, magnesium, nickel, various alloys , semiconductors etc., for deep sea bed mining of such minerals as manganese, cobalt, and nickel, or for producing energy carriers/fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia.

• Since OTEC plant will not utilize fossil fuel, the produced electricity has a fixed cost, thus it is not susceptible to the volatility of costs that affect other energy sources such as petroleum products, coal and natural gas.

• Moreover, the environmental impact is less than other sources of energy since no products of combustion are generated during the power production process.

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Thank You for Your Attention