The French OTEC Project in Tahiti: Preliminary Results of the Site Environment Study

After the so-called phase A feasibility study, the phase B of the french OTEC program was launched mid-82 : the objective is the completion of the pre-design study of an on-shore pilot plant, in the 5 MW range, located in Tahiti, French Polynesia. This paper summarizes the results of the first year of a 2 years long OTEC Site environment study. So far, data collection efforts have concentrated on : - Thermal resource evaluation and variability ; - Current observation and water mixing ; - Winds and waves observations ; - Bathymetry and micro-scale geomorphology of the bottom slope ; - Biological and chemical issues. The objectives of this study are to provide design values and recommendations for the location and dimensioning of the intake and discharge structures and to assess the pilot plant´s effects on the environment.