Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant OceanTherm Commissioned in Pacific Island Nation Kiribati: Powering an Entire Island with Seawater Temperature Difference
Makai Ocean Engineering's OceanTherm OTEC plant officially commissioned in Kiribati, using temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep water to provide 24-hour stable power for 30,000 island residents
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant OceanTherm Commissioned in Pacific Island Nation Kiribati: Powering an Entire Island with Seawater Temperature Difference
Makai Ocean Engineering announced on November 6 that the OceanTherm Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plant has officially entered operation in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati. The plant uses the temperature difference between warm surface seawater (approximately 28°C) and cold water at 600 meters depth (approximately 5°C) to drive a thermodynamic cycle for power generation, with an installed capacity of 10 megawatts providing 24-hour uninterrupted clean electricity for 30,000 island residents.
Ocean thermal energy conversion technology has existed for over a century but has been limited by low efficiency and high costs. OceanTherm's breakthrough lies in AI-optimized heat exchanger design — the AI screened 2 million fin structures for the most efficient heat transfer solution, improving heat exchange efficiency by 40%.
Kiribati previously relied entirely on imported diesel power generation, with electricity costs reaching $0.45/kWh. OceanTherm reduced the price to $0.12/kWh while eliminating 15,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. Multiple Pacific island nations have expressed interest in building similar plants.
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