TechCapsules

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) can generate electricity by exploiting the modest temperature difference between tropical surface water (≈25 °C) and deep water (≈4–5 °C). A 100 MW reference plant would circulate 705 m³/s of seawater—about 705,000 litres every second—requiring a 10‑metre‑diameter intake pipe nearly a kilometre long. The design illustrates the massive civil‑engineering demands: large volumes, extensive piping, and significant pressure losses, all of which limit OTEC’s commercial viability compared to other renewables.