Baseload ocean power for Pacific grids: the 30MW OTEC plantship
A project profile of OceanBit APAC’s modular offshore Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion platform, and how NETS supports its delivery across the Pacific.
Render: OceanBit APAC
The challenge
Pacific Island grids depend overwhelmingly on imported diesel. Solar and batteries are cutting fuel use quickly, but main island grids still need firm power through the night, through extended cloud and through cyclone season. Until now, that firm power has come almost entirely from diesel generators.
The solution
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) generates electricity from the temperature difference between warm tropical surface water and cold water drawn from the deep ocean. Because that temperature difference is present day and night, OTEC can provide continuous renewable baseload — effectively using the ocean as the world’s largest solar battery.
OceanBit APAC, an Australian entity established to bring this technology to Pacific island nations, has developed a demand-response approach (DROTEC) built around modular offshore plantships. Key design features include:
- Dispatchable output that follows the customer load profile, rather than a fixed baseload block.
- Modular 30MW plantships that allow capacity to be added as demand grows.
- Offshore deployment, reducing land use and the logistical challenges of land-based OTEC.
- Disaster resilience, with platforms designed to manage severe weather and return to grid quickly afterwards.
- Lower cost through innovative vessel design and monetisation of otherwise-curtailed power.
The NETS role
NETS collaborates with OceanBit APAC to support delivery of OTEC across the Pacific. From our Suva office, we contribute in-country stakeholder engagement, grid integration and connection planning, installation support and long-term operations and maintenance — helping move the technology from concept to connected, reliable supply.
Why it matters
Combining solar and storage for daytime energy with OTEC for firm, around-the-clock supply offers Pacific nations a credible path to replacing diesel entirely — strengthening energy security, reducing exposure to fuel price shocks and supporting national 100 per cent renewable targets.
Exploring OTEC for your grid?
Speak with NETS about feasibility, grid integration and delivery in the Pacific.
New Energy Technology Solutions · info@netsolutions.energy · +679 333 0007