Abstract
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) offers a promising avenue for renewable energy generation, leveraging temperature gradients in ocean water to produce electricity. Despite its potential, OTEC grapples with system efficiencies lingering between a modest 3 to 5%. This study provides an exhaustive exploration of OTEC's inherent challenges, spotlighting the crucial role and limitations of components like heat exchangers, turbines, and working fluids. Specific working fluids, for instance, exhibit varied efficiencies; the basic Rankine cycle employing R32 renders efficiencies of 3 to 3.1%, while Kalina and Uehara cycles show slight improvements at approximately 5%. Additionally, economic considerations underscore the critical cost implications within OTEC systems, with diverse components contributing to the overall financial feasibility. Furthermore, the paper illuminates potential integrative solutions, like the combination of OTEC and Reverse Osmosis for desalination, and the innovative use of OTEC for ammonia production, offering dual benefits of sustainable energy and fresh water supply. With an emphasis on efficiency enhancement, component optimisation, and strategic solutions to overcome outlined challenges, this study aims to fortify the foundation for advancing OTEC's role in the renewable energy domain, offering valuable insights for researchers and policymakers.