Infrastructure Development for OTEC Plants: A Review of Onshore and Offshore Applications

Archipelagic countries have great opportunities to utilize ocean resources as a supply of electrical energy. Based on theoretical, technical, and practical calculations, OTEC provides the largest energy potential among ocean energy in Indonesia. OTEC products can increase national independence through the development of the energy sector. OTEC plants can be implemented with the support of onshore and offshore infrastructure. Demonstration for developing small-scale OTEC pilot plants on onshore and offshore platforms tested in the field has shown that the OTEC plant system is expanding rapidly. To accelerate the understanding of the OTEC plant system, an overview of the platform type is needed to support all OTEC supporting components. Several factors that influenced the placement of onshore infrastructure for OTEC technology components are explained. Then, the selection of platform design for OTEC plants in conditions installed in the middle of the sea is also discussed by considering design criteria. The phenomenon occurs between the large cold water pipe (CWP) structure and floating structures due to environmental conditions. Finally, a comparison of the types of floating structures is made to determine which is suitable for offshore OTEC plants.