Some 100 Countries to Generate OTEC Power
OTEC can generate electricity by utilizing the 10-30℃ difference in the temperature between warm surface and cold deep seawater; therefore, countries located between 40 degrees north and 40 degrees south latitude have the right environment for OTEC. Japan could generate an estimated total OTEC power equal to 8.6 billion tons of oil or 15 times the current yearly demand. Thus, world-wide use of OTEC means an enormous savings of fossil fuels and contributes to curbing global warming.
OTEC does not rely only on seawater. OTEC is attainable economically with any water sources having 15℃ or more thermal difference between warm and cold. Hot spring water, warm waste at factories and power plants are all raw materials for clean OTEC power.