ABSTRACT
Indian Ocean, like other ocean and seas, has vast potential for producing renewable energy that can be utilized for the benefit of the people. This is important for nations on the rim of the Indian Ocean, which have geographical situation suitable for producing energy through ocean tides and currents, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), and ocean waves.
From the above list, the most favourable method for producing energy from tides is OTEC.
Desalinisation of sea water to produce sweet water to meet the drinking water needs of a large population is another development in this area. The technologies have been around for a long time. Salt, magnesium, and bromine are all commercially extracted from the nearshore waters and the methods follow standard chemical engineering techniques. A relatively recent development has been the combination of nuclear power stations with desalination plants where the waste heat of the power station can be used in the distillation process. These installations are particularly viable where both freshwater and power are in short supply.
