Abstract
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a developing renewable energy technology that leverages the natural temperature gradient between surface and deep seawater to generate electricity. As OTEC systems evolve toward offshore deployment, the design of supporting platforms, especially fixed offshore structures, has emerged as a critical area of interest. This paper presents a comprehensive review of fixed offshore platform designs in the context of OTEC applications, synthesizing existing knowledge from offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, and marine engineering domains. The review evaluates structural configurations, environmental load responses, and the integration challenges of key OTEC components such as thermal exchangers and deep-seawater piping. Key gaps in current design practices are identified, including limited structural optimization for OTEC-specific loads, high cost of installation and maintenance, and a lack of long-term performance data under tropical ocean conditions. Finally, the paper outlines future directions and design recommendations to guide the development of robust, economically fixed offshore platforms tailored for large-scale OTEC deployment. This review aims to support researchers and engineers in advancing platform designs that meet both engineering and environmental demands.