Abstract
This report presents the training activities and the results from JICA Counterpart
Training in Japan during the period 2-10 December 2019. This short-term training,
called ‘the 1st On-Site Training of OTEC and DSW Applications’, was supported by JICA
SATREPS-OTEC Project: Development of Advanced Hybrid-Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion (OTEC) Technology for Low Carbon Society and Sustainable Energy System:
First Experimental OTEC Plant of Malaysia.
This Report would also greatly help Malaysia to realise its total potential in harnessing
not only its ocean thermal energy resources but also the full utilization of the cold deep
sea water off the eventual operating ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plants,
especially those nearest to the coastlines of the States of Sabah and Sarawak.
OTEC Technology has been recognized, not only among the 21 most impactful and
emerging technologies in this 21st Century, but it is perhaps the only advanced technology
that could easily fulfill all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Its
accomplishment has already been demonstrated very well on the Island of Kumejima,
Okinawa, Japan, where 2x50 kW of OTEC green-power has been generated to support
various spin-off industries on this Island that utilize the cold deep sea water that is
rich in nutrients for the culture of high value marine produce the like of “umi budou”,
oysters, prawns, fugu-fish, or even abalone, and that of marine products including
mineral water, cosmetics and other beauty products. The applications of various OTEC related technologies have essentially transformed the economy of Kumejima from the
traditional sugar and pineapple growing into totally the advanced “blue economy”.
It is the aspiration of Malaysia not only to emulate the successes of Japan in developing
the core engineering of the ocean thermal energy conversion plant and the OTEC-spinoff
industries, but also to undertake joint R&D and further innovation in order to advance
the current state of knowledge, systems, and practices, including the prospects of
producing green Hydrogen from at least 26,000 MW of OTEC potential in Malaysia. Thus,
any bilateral as well regional and international programmes that would promote close
co-operation, collaboration, and partnership would be very much welcome.
It is also very important for Japan to work closely with the tropical countries the like
of Malaysia. Being located along the Equator, the potential of OTEC could be harnessed
24/7 and throughout the year. Malaysia could be the focus of future OTEC development
not only in the South East Asia and but also throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Global partnership is also important in realizing the fact that OTEC Technology could
help address the Climate Change challenges and offset carbon dioxide emissions, that
is, 8,000 tonnes of CO2 per MW of OTEC power generated. In other words, the generation
of 3825 GW of OTEC throughout the tropical world could offset the total global CO2
emissions in 2020 of 30.6 Giga tonnes.
In short, go for OTEC, and move toward a sustainable future