Major ocean energy project planned off Hawai‘i waters

Rendering of Energy Harvesting System LLC’s proposed 20-megawatt OTEC platform for the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Honolulu-based company plans to build a similar system off the coast of Barbers Point, O‘ahu. Courtesy of Energy Harvesting Systems LLC.

Hans Krock, an emeritus professor of Ocean and Resources Engineering (ORE), and  veteran Honolulu engineer Alfred Yee, president of Honolulu-based Yee Precast Design Group Ltd., are leading an effort to develop a major ocean energy project that could help push Hawaii toward its 100 percent renewable energy goal. The ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC, project, would be built off Barbers Point in West O‘ahu.

Krock and Yee have formed Energy Harvesting Systems LLC to develop OTEC projects around the world. Their first project is being built in the Marshall Islands, with the goal of showing the benefits of this project to others, including Hawai‘i. They have spoken to Hawaiian Electric Co. regarding their plans, although the firm is putting its focus on getting its Marshall Islands project up and running, with the help of other nations, including France, Japan and Germany.

Read more about it in the Pacific Business News.