Lockheed Martin (News - Alert) and Beijing-based Reignwood Group are working together to establish an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) pilot power plant off the coast of southern China.
Lockheed Martin asserted that it is progressing with OTEC, a technology that leverages the ocean’s natural thermal gradient to generate power. The purported 10-megawatt offshore plant would be the largest OTEC project in development. The energy from the plant will be used to completely power the Reignwood Group’s green resort.
Dan Heller, vice president of new ventures for Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training commented, “The benefits to generating power with OTEC are immense, and Lockheed Martin has been leading the way in advancing this technology for decades. Constructing a sea-based, multi-megawatt pilot OTEC power plant for Reignwood Group is the final step in making it an economic option to meet growing needs for clean, reliable energy”.
Lockheed explained that military shore-side bases and communities in the tropics, many of which are largely dependent on imported fossil fuels for power and transportation, can benefit greatly from OTEC technology. Power generated from these plants can be utilized to produce energy carriers, such as hydrogen and ammonia, so that power can be shipped to areas further inland.
OTEC plants are clean, sustainable and powered by free fuel. A 100-megawatt OTEC facility could produce the same amount of energy in a year as 1.3 million barrels of oil and prevent millions of tons in carbon emissions.
Colin Liu, senior vice president of Reignwood Group added, “Our mission at Reignwood Group is to invest in low-carbon applications and solutions, integrating these new green technologies into a plan to promote sustainable development practices. Lockheed Martin’s OTEC technology offers a ground-breaking solution that will help us to achieve this mission.”
Edited by Blaise McNamee