Company Makes Progress in Building Storm-Resistant
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The European Union’s PLOTEC project has made notable progress in the development of a storm-resistant clean-energy system for use in tropical locations. Called the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), the prototype generates electricity by using the temperature difference between colder deep water and warm surface water.
In addition, the system can withstand severe tropical storms, and its design allows it to continue to generate electricity 24/7, even in the wake of major tropical storms, providing a perpetual clean-energy source that can run even after severe weather events in the tropics. The prototype is currently in development at the Hidramar Shipyard based in Gran Canaria, Spain, and has reached 50% completion.
Fabrication started in March with European Union funding. The project has now reached a significant milestone in its construction. Assembly of the cylindrical hull and other critical components will take place in the Atlantic Ocean. The groundbreaking project would provide countries in tropical regions with a resilient and near-perpetual clean-energy source that would allow them to transition from fossil fuels to renewables.
While solar and wind have proven to be effective sources of renewable energy, their susceptibility to damage makes them unsuitable for regions that regularly experience severe weather events. OTEC technology is designed to withstand events such as tropical storms and continue generating renewable energy, ensuring that people have access to much-needed electricity in the aftermath of severe tropical storms.
Engineers on the project recently finished constructing OTEC’s first level by carefully cutting, preparing, fitting and welding more than 660 steel plates of varying thickness to the keel. The hundreds of welds also all went through thorough inspections to spot defects. According to lead engineer Sam Johnston, the need for several welds coupled with the complexity of the keel made this stage especially time consuming.
This painstakingly careful attention to detail prevents the keel from warping and keeps its structure strong. The project will advance to the cylindrical shell addition stage once the keel plate is complete. Its ultimate goal is to allow Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that experience severe weather to transition to clean energy alongside the rest of the globe.
These regions typically rely on diesel generators for electricity and barely have any access to renewable alternatives, putting them far behind other countries in the green-energy transition. The PLOTEC project leverages the ocean, an abundant and easily accessible natural resource, to attempt to solve the energy problems facing SIDS while being resilient enough to withstand cyclones, hurricanes and severe tropical storms.
When such clean-energy systems are brought online and are used to recharge zero-emissions vehicles such as those made by Mullen Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), the effects in the fight against climate change are amplified.
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