Today, Lockheed Martin announced that the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has awarded the company an $8.12 million contract to further develop Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology, which leverages the temperature difference between warmer water at the ocean’s surface and colder water below to produce renewable and reliable power.The contract calls for Lockheed Martin to develop critical OTEC system components and further mature its design for an OTEC pilot plant, an incremental step in developing large-scale utility plants. A key part of maturing the plant design includes developing an interface between the system’s cold water pipe and the platform.
“OTEC has the potential to play a critical role in securing our nation’s and our military’s energy needs, †said Lockheed Martin New Ventures vice president Rich Lockwood. “This contract provides Lockheed Martin the opportunity to further demonstrate the feasibility of generating electricity from the ocean in an environmentally benign way.â€
Lockheed Martin’s experience with OTEC technology dates back to the 1970s when the company built “Mini-OTEC.â€
