Mitsui OSK Lines is carrying out a ''feasibility study on a deep seawater coupled use model'' to commercialize ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) in Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. On January 15, the "Preliminary Study of Water Pipeline Installation" as part of the same survey was selected as the "2020 Infrastructure Development Survey Project to Achieve Credit" bilateral applications, etc", a project announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry that it has been implemented.
Ocean thermal power generation test facility in Okinawa Prefecture on Kumejima
(Source: Nikkei BP)
OTEC is a system that combines deep sea water from waters deeper than 600 meters and uses the temperature difference between deep sea water and surface water to generate electricity. Because it is not affected by the weather, it can generate a stable power source. Furthermore, because deep sea water after power generation is cold enough and the quality does not change, it can be used for secondary purposes in various fields, including fisheries, agriculture and air conditioning . In Japan, a 100kW demonstration facility has been in operation in Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture since June 2012.
Mitsui OSK Lines is authorized by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) from May 2022 to May 2023 to conduct ``Survey on compliance with verification requirements related to The combined use of deep sea water focuses on ocean thermal energy conversion in Mauritius. '', an assessment was conducted of the Mauritian developer's ability to execute and the conditions for installing the OTEC equipment. Candidate locations were narrowed down and the South-Southwest region of the country was selected as the most suitable location.
The next step in this selected research project will be to investigate and analyze various conditions for installing water intake pipes in appropriate locations and verify the validity of candidate locations. Project implementation period is from December 2023 to March 2024.
The introduction of OTEC in Mauritius will take full advantage of the country's location in the tropical Indian Ocean region. Furthermore, from a national strategic perspective, the groundwork for the introduction of OTEC has been prepared by developing a roadmap to increase the share of renewable energy to 60% by 2030 and includes demonstration projects on the introduction of OTEC in the national budget plan. .ing.
According to Mitsui OSK Lines, the output of OTEC equipment in Mauritius will reach over 1MW, in addition, the company is expected to develop business activities using power sources and deep sea water. Future steps include establishing the technical aspects of the OTEC facility itself, such as ensuring that it can perform the expected heat exchange and power production at scale, reducing installation costs. Laying of water pipelines and discovery of need for deep water in Mauritius etc are being planned.
