A new wave of clean energy for island nations

A floating platform harnesses the ocean to provide power to coastal communities

Spotted: Tropical islands generate less than one per cent of global greenhouse emissions, but disproportionately face some of the worst effects of climate change. Energy security also poses a pressing issue for these nations, with the majority relying on imported diesel for power. As well as this being environmentally harmful, many islands are sparsely populated and geographically isolated, leading to some of the highest energy costs in the world. Finding alternative sources has become critical. Renewables like wind and solar take up more space than the islands have, but now Global OTEC has a potential solution.

Global OTEC has revived and modernised a technology that has been around since the late 19th century, marrying old ideas with hardware from the here and now to create its Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology. OTEC operates by harnessing the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep ocean water. The tech uses this temperature gradient to drive a cycle of evaporation, condensation, and electricity generation. This means that a baseload power can be outputted that runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in contrast to more intermittent renewables such as solar and wind.

Global OTEC has combined its technology into a floating platform that it plans to situate offshore, freeing up space-constrained island land for agricultural and infrastructural needs. The OTEC technology system can reduce the reliance of tropical islands on diesel by up to 50 per cent, allowing CO2 emissions to be cut at scale, all while offering a stable electricity price for a 30-year span.

Dan Grech, Founder and CEO of Global OTEC, shared his vision with Springwise: “Our commitment is to offer practical, scalable solutions to support communities, both powering and empowering nations to become more resilient, energy-secure, and aligned with global climate goals.” According to Grech, “Our long-term vision is a world powered by the ocean, where we can not only cut gigatonnes of CO2 emissions but also improve the quality of life in communities that have been forgotten over the years.”

Global OTEC’s first commercial project, a 1.5-megawatt floating platform called Dominique, is scheduled for deployment in São Tomé and Príncipe by 2026. This is progressing alongside a project funded by the EU, known as PLOTEC, which is a storm-resistant platform developed alongside six partner organisations. PLOTEC is nearing the final stage of fabrication, and has been created following discussions with island nations, which highlighted the need for structures that are able to withstand tropical storms common in some regions.

Written By: Oscar Williams