Ocean thermal energy conversion has significant potential and DCNS has made it a central part of its strategy. The group is planning to install 25 power stations worldwide between now and 2030, and has just signed an agreement to conduct a study on a pilot OTEC plant in Malaysia.
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a technology that produces energy by using temperature differences between deep and surface seawater. This marine renewable energy remains little developed but is promising, in particular for islands.
Firstly, it offers a continuous source of energy, with no variations caused by changing weather conditions. Furthermore, the process enables the desalination of seawater (and its use for agriculture) and, when the plant is located in the sea, it produces a phenomenon known as upwelling, which is beneficial for marine fauna (and, therefore, aquaculture).
DCNS is a pioneer in the field and has been developing OTEC for a number of years. Its OTEC engineering centre is located in Indret, near Nantes, and the Marlin R&D project (co-funded by the Pays de la Loire region and selected by ADEME following a call for expression of interest) has made it possible to overcome the last technological barriers.
A pilot plant in Malaysia
An international cooperation agreement between DCNS and the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia OTEC Centre (UTM OTEC) has just been officially concluded. It involves a pre-feasibility study for a pilot ETM plant which would be located on the island of Layang-Layang.
DCNS already has solutions which are being tested under real conditions in Réunion Island and Martinique. The group is planning to install 25 plants between now and 2030. They will be located in ten priority zones and could potentially produce a total power of 650 MW.
Further information: http://en.dcnsgroup.com
