Barbados checks OTEC potential

Barbados’ Minister for Energy Darcy Boyce has announced that a prefeasibility study to assess the commercial potential of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) will be carried out in Barbados next year.

The study would assess the potential of OTEC as a provider of electricity, potable water and nutrient rich water for fisheries, Boyce said.

OTEC is a marine renewable energy technology that generates electricity using the differences between deep cold ocean water and warm tropical surface waters, most suitable for the equatorial areas.

Boyce noted the growing acknowledgement of the nexus between energy and water, which, he said, had been heightened by the awareness of the challenges related to climate change,

“Increase in the use of energy generated from fossil fuels leads to more emissions of greenhouse gases which will accelerate the negative impacts of global climate change,” said Boyce.