Renewable energy from the ocean - a guide to OTEC

Book · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:6842092

Avery, W H; Wu, C

An enormous renewable energy resource exists in the tropical oceans. The authors of this book state that this resource could be exploited to produce a large fraction of the world's energy needs in the form of methanol or ammonia and that any associated deleterious environmental effects would be minimal. Careful analyses of potential problems, detailed designs of OTEC plant ships, and consideration of costs occupy most of the book. Part of it is devoted to some limited practical experience. With the knowledge set forth a 40-MWe seagoing pilot plant could be constructed. Cost would be about $200 million in 1990 dollars. Construction could be relatively rapid, since most of the components would be commercially available. The authors provide extensive evidence that with experience costs of OTEC would be substantially reduced and that ultimately production of methanol and ammonia by OTEC could be made cost-competitive.

• OSTI ID: 6842092
• Resource Relation: Other Information: From review by Philip H. Abelson, American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Science, Vol. 265, No. 5170 (Jul 1994)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
AMMONIA
PRODUCTION
METHANOL
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
DESIGN
REVIEWS
SHIPS
ALCOHOLS
CONVERSION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY CONVERSION
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems