National Current Affairs
‘Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion’ (OTEC) Project in Lakshadweep
- 09 Mar 2026
- 2 min read
Why in News?
Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh inspected the upcoming Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) project in Lakshadweep, which is being developed as the world’s first OTEC-based desalination plant using deep ocean water.
Key Points:
- Location: Kavaratti Island, the capital of Lakshadweep.
- Developed By: It will be developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC): It is a renewable energy technology that generates electricity by utilizing the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater.
- Mechanism: The plant harnesses the thermal gradient (temperature difference) between warm surface seawater (approx. 29°C) and cold deep-sea water (approx. 5°C) drawn from depths of about 1,000 metres.
- The technology works best in tropical oceans, where the temperature difference between surface and deep water is significant.
- Dual Output:
- Electricity: Expected to generate approximately 60-65 kilowatts (kW) of power.
- Freshwater: Will produce about 1 lakh litres (100 cubic metres) of potable water daily via Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD).
- Infrastructure: The project involves a complex 3.8 km long pipeline made of high-density polyethylene to reach the deep cold-water layers.
