DOE Selects Lockheed Martin To Advance OTEC Utility Power Plans

Published: 18-Mar-2010

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Lockheed Martin to receive two grants to advance the technology commercialization of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC).

Under the first grant, Lockheed Martin will develop a tool to estimate the amount of energy that can be extracted from the ocean's thermal layers. The geographic information system-based dataset and software tool will be used to identify regions of the world viable for OTEC and seawater-based air conditioning (SWAC). The resulting resource mapping will provide information about regional OTEC and SWAC feasibility.

SWAC, which uses cold seawater located near coastlines to supply air-conditioner coolant, has the potential to reduce electric utility loads during high summer demand periods.

Under the second grant, Lockheed Martin will develop estimates of performance and life-cycle costs associated with utility-scale OTEC systems to demonstrate the economic feasibility of such projects. The resulting data will provide justification for pursuing commercialization of OTEC and generate investment interest in this renewable energy source.

The grants are expected to support the company's effort to produce a utility-scale renewable energy source leveraging the temperature difference of the ocean's warm surface water and colder water below.

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