The Sarawak State government is studying on the possibility of using the ocean as a source of energy for the state using what is know as OTEC or ocean thermal energy conversion.
Premier of the state, Abang Johairi said this is another option that can be explored as a sustainable energy source including gas, solar and hydro.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a process or technology for producing energy by harnessing the temperature differences (thermal gradients) between ocean surface waters and deep ocean waters.
Energy from the sun heats the surface water of the ocean. In tropical regions, surface water can be much warmer than deep water. This temperature difference can be used to produce electricity and to desalinate ocean water. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems use a temperature difference (of at least 20° Celsius or 36° Fahrenheit) to power a turbine to produce electricity. Warm surface water is pumped through an evaporator containing a working fluid.
The vaporised fluid drives a turbine/generator. The vaporized fluid is turned back to a liquid in a condenser cooled with cold ocean water pumped from deeper in the ocean. OTEC systems using seawater as the working fluid can use the condensed water to produce desalinated water.
