Bardot Group, a French SME specialised in subsea engineering and equipment manufacturing for offshore energy, has signed a contract for the first commercial OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) system to be installed in an eco-resort in Maldives.

The contract, which includes engineering, procurement, construction and installation works, was signed between the two parties in presence of the Minister of Environment and Energy of Maldives, Thoriq Ibrahim.

OTEC technology uses the ocean water to produce electricity, air-conditioning and fresh & drinking water. Electricity is generated by a turbine in a closed cycle, activated through heat exchangers by the difference of temperature between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater. OTEC brings associated technologies such as SWAC (Sea Water Air Conditioning) and SWRO (Sea Water Reverse Osmosis) which are used for air cooling and water purification. Because OTEC requires an important difference of seawater temperature, this solution is well adapted to coastal and insular areas in tropical regions.

The eco-resort is being developed in a South Maldivian archipelago, a few hundred kilometres from the capital city of Male. Designed to accommodate 300 people, the resort will be fully powered in electricity, air-conditioning, hot & cold water and fresh & drinking water by OTEC system. The OTEC plant will be located on an individual island from where it will pump the warm surface water and cold deep water. Electricity and fresh water will be transferred to the resort island through a water pipeline and a power cable. Altogether, 7km of HDPE pipe will be installed off the island’s shore.

The project is expected to be completed early 2018.