DCNS will participate in the Caribbean Renewable Energy forum in Miami (USA) from October 6 to 8. CREF is the hub for the Caribbean energy markets.
It represents an opportunity for DCNS to meet Caribbean decision-takers and industrialists to develop future ocean energy solutions in the region, in particular in the Ocean Thermal Energy Convertors (OTEC) field. The Group will present its NEMO project consisting of a 16 MW offshore OTEC plant, in partnership with Akuo Energy.
The Caribbean islands offer a zone that is extremely favorable for the development of OTEC solutions. This energy conversion system offers base load, non-intermittent and carbon-free energy, without any uncertainty regarding the resource.
Due to their situation on the tropical belt, the Caribbean islands meet all the criteria to develop OTEC projects:
A temperature difference of more than 20 degrees between the warm water at the surface (25°) and the cold water in the depths (5°);
A willingness of governments to achieve energy self-sufficiency through the development of ocean energy, an alternative to fossil fuels largely used on island territories non-connected to the grid.
DCNS wants to help Caribbean islands achieving energy independence and is already working in close cooperation with many territories, primarily the Martinique Island. The Group will install there, in partnership with Akuo Energy, a floating ocean thermal energy conversion plant which will be operational in 2018 and will supply electricity to 35,000 homes. This project prefigures the development of an OTEC industrial sector in which DCNS will be one of the main stakeholders. The OTEC technology developed by the Group will eventually benefit all overseas island territories, non- connected to continental power grid.
Capitalizing on its unique expertise in the design and production of complex systems, DCNS is today able to propose two complementary turnkey OTEC solutions: a floating offshore solution able to provide strong power connected to the electricity grid; a land-based OTEC plant intended for isolated areas with localized electricity needs such as hotel complexes or small companies. This land-based system offers numerous advantages: it can be coupled with a SWAC (Seawater Air Conditioning) solution and could also allow the production of fresh water or water for fish farms. A major industrial player, DCNS is able to guarantee the performance and availability of its OTEC plants to help its partners develop their projects.