Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
untapping the potential of the tropical ocean
by Al Binger
The oceans cover 70.8 percent of the world and act as solar irradiative energy collector and heat storage on earth, especially in the tropic region. This huge available thermal energy, which is replenished every day by the sun, represents a tremendous pollution-free natural energy resource for human progress and civilization. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology refers to a mechanical system that utilizes the natural temperature gradient that exists in the tropical ocean between the warm surface layer and the deep cold water, to generate electricity and produce other economically valuable by-products from its Deep Ocean Water Applications (DOWA). These DOWA include producing large quantities of drinking water, supporting aquaculture and fish farming, making fertilizer and hydrogen, and cooling or air conditioning, among others. The science and engineering behind OTEC has been studied and experienced for decades in many countries such as Britain, France, Japan, Netherlands and the United States. OTEC electric power generations have been demonstrated and many DOWA sub-systems have been individually designed, tested, advanced and reported with fruitful results. The Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) reviewed a proposed OTEC project for the Caribbean states in 2000, concluded that, “OTEC is too promising to be ignored, particularly for the small island states, and that the potential multi-purpose benefits of the technology deserve recognition.”
Generally OTEC is a low temperature, low speed and low pressure energy conversion machine, hence it requires relatively low operation and maintenance costs, and NO fossil fuel consumption. In addition, the oceanic thermal resource in not intermittent, OTEC systems can be operated at full capacity around the clock and consequently make maximum use of its capital investment. The tropical ocean thermal reservoir is the largest natural renewable energy resource in the world. It is large enough to have the potential to serve as the alternate for the much expensive and rapidly exhausting fossil fuel in future. It would be possible that OTEC will supply all of human energy needs in perpetuity, after its advanced development and supporting infrastructure are available. But, so far, there is not yet one successful OTEC field demonstration of an integrated system over the world.
In the previous US national policy review on energy in the 1990s, there were few sentences, mentioned in the US Report of the Energy Research and Development Panel, which commented that based mostly on the 1980s field experimental results, “OTEC’s prospective (at the time) was poor.” This advisory statement has been quoted as guidelines for eliminating all OTEC funding in the U.S., ever since. Until today, there has been no recent systematic evaluation of this potentially important OTEC technology and its DOWA systems. Technical advances as well as global climate and economic developments make it a suitable time to take a fresh look at OTEC systems both as appropriate for tropical island-based multi-product installations and as large scale energy base for liquid hydrogen production floating platforms.
As petroleum consumption continue to outstrip new discoveries and the future forecast is for continuation of this trend, the world needs to seriously look at the vast untapped potential of the tropical ocean and not continue on the path of carbon energy and its negative economic, social and environmental consequences. I wonder? Is anyone out there listening?
Cape Verde - transition from LDC category
Cape Verde graduated in December 2007. The continued successful integration of Cape Verde in the world economy depends on government policies and support from its development partners. Graduation will involve challenges, in particular, in reconciling the possible reduction in grants and concessional financing support with the country's dependency on aid.
Cape Verde is the first LDC to graduate under the new smooth transition strategy resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly for countries graduating from the list of least developed countries. The resolution urges all development partners to support the implementation of the transition strategy and to avoid any abrupt reductions in either official development assistance or technical assistance provided to the graduated country. In line with the General Assembly resolution, Cape Verde prepared a transition strategy in consultation with its development partners under the so-called Groupe d’Appui à la Transition (GAT) comprising the vision and commitment of the Government and its partners for the smooth transition of the country from the LDC category.
So far, a number of development partners have signaled that their special partnerships with Cape Verde will not be affected by its graduation:
- Cape Verde has been granted a period of transition allowing to benefit from the LDC specific GSP Everything But Arms initiative from the European Union for 3 years.
- Portugal and Cape Verde signed a cooperation agreement covering the next four years, worth 70 million euros.
or, started a new collaboration:
- Trade-related technical assistance through the Integrated Framework (IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, World Bank and the WTO) launched in September 2007.
Others appear to interpret the graduation of the country as the beginning of a new era:
- The Dutch Government seems to have decided to adjust its development cooperation relationship with the country: reduced development cooperation and a new emphasis on political, economic and cultural cooperation.
- UNCDF no longer funds projects in Cape Verde.
For the near future, the overall picture seems to be that some donors may scale down their assistance, but that most may maintain, and a few even increase, their cooperation. On its part, Cape Verde is preparing for possible declines in ODA by strengthening revenue mobilization, promoting private sector development, and attracting capital flows.
The CDP will continue to monitor the development progress of Cape Verde and report its findings to ECOSOC in 2009.
What benefits do LDCs get
The international support measures associated with LDC status are related to trade preferences and the volume of ODA including development financing, technical cooperation and other forms of assistance. LDCs that are WTO members can also benefit from special and differential treatment regarding WTO-related obligations.
In order to arrive at a better understanding of the support extended to LDCs, the CDP Secretariat is currently working on an analysis of the existing support measures available to this category of countries. The results will be made available in the forthcoming publication "Handbook on the Least Developed Country Category - Inclusion, Graduation and Benefits". The CDP Secretariat has also launched a multi-year project on improving the capacity of LDCs to make use of the support measures derived from LDC status and for the phasing out of such measures after graduating from the LDC category. Furthermore, main LDC donors will be approached for feedback on the benefits provided.
We would like to initiate a discussion among development partners, policy makers in LDCs and researchers on the issue of support measures and welcome inputs and ideas.
Managed by the Secretariat of the Committee for Development Policy, this Blog aims at promoting an informal dialogue among the Members of the Committee, UN Member States, the research community and those interested in the issues addressed by CDP in its advisory role to ECOSOC.
The Blog will feature discussions on the themes covered by the CDP and well as current news regarding the least developed countries, and the support measures specifically made available by the international community to this group of countries.
The exchange of ideas and sharing of information will also contribute to our efforts in making the findings and policy recommendations by the Committee more widely available and accessible to the general public.
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