Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant OceanTherm Goes Live in Hawaii: Powering Islands From Seawater Temperature Differences
American Makai Ocean Energy completes the world's first commercial-scale ocean thermal energy conversion plant OceanTherm in Hawaii, using temperature differences between warm surface water and cold deep water to drive turbine generation at 10MW capacity.
American Makai Ocean Energy today announced that the world's first commercial-scale ocean thermal energy conversion plant OceanTherm has formally begun operation on Hawaii's Big Island. OceanTherm uses the temperature difference between warm surface water (~25°C) and cold water at 600 meters depth (~5°C) to drive organic Rankine cycle turbines, generating 10MW of power.
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology has been conceptualized for a century but previously limited by low efficiency and high costs. OceanTherm's breakthrough uses novel high-efficiency heat exchangers and AI-optimized control systems, raising net generation efficiency from 3% to 5.2%. While efficiency remains modest, ocean temperature differential is an inexhaustible stable energy source — unaffected by weather, season, or day-night cycles.
OceanTherm provides approximately 8% of Hawaii Big Island's electricity. The company plans to deploy more OTEC plants across Pacific Island nations, providing stable clean energy for islands currently dependent on imported diesel generation.
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