Overview on the French OTEC Program in 1983

The French OTEC program aims to build a 5 MWe land-based pilot plant in Tahiti to be in operation in 1988. Before the decision to construct, to be taken in 1985, the phase 2 of the program was launched in 1982. It is composed of detailed site survey, experimental work on both open and closed cycles, cold water pipe, design of the plant and a market study. CNEXO, the government agency with responsibility for oceanology is cooperating with a special industrial group, called ERGOCEAN, including Empain Schneider and CGE Alsthom-Atlantique which realized the feasibility of OTEC in phase 1. The total cost of the present phase 2 is roughly $ 10 M (US).