Abstract
Ocean thermal energy is just one of the alternative sources to supplement existing fossil fuels for generating electricity. This paper describes operational tests, carried out by Tokyo Electric Power, with the aid of the Japanese Government, on the island of Nauru in the Pacific Ocean. The paper covers the basic method of generating power from ocean water temperature differences, indicates where suitable sites for its implementation might be found and refers in detail to planning considerations specific to the construction of plant both on and offshore. The 100 kW pilot plant generated not only power, but data invaluable to the future development of full-scale operational OTEC plants, capable of producing up to 10 000 kW of power.
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