THE

 APPLICATION  OF  OCEAN  THERMAL  ENERGY  

CONVERSION  (OTEC),  AND  SEAWATER  DISTRICT  
COOLING  (SDC)  TECHNOLOGIES  IN  THE  BAHAMAS.  
 
BASIC  PREMISE:  
 
Both  OTEC  and  SDC  are  proven  technologies  that  can  provide  significant    
economic   and   environmental   benefits   to   those   applying   and   utilizing    
them.  
 
THE  BAHAMAS:  
 
The  Geology  of  the  Bahamas  and  the  Turks  and  Caicos  Islands  is  unique.  
Essentially   it   is   a   platform   dissected   by   deep   intervening   troughs   that  
extends   eastward   and   southeastward   away   from   the   south   east   Florida  
coast   into   the   deep   Atlantic   Ocean.   Down   to   a   depth   of   approximately  
20,000   feet,   the   platform   comprises   a   continuous   sequence   of  
carbonate/evaporite   rocks,   and   this   is   what   makes   it   unique.   There   is  
some   similarity   to   just   the   uppermost   portion   of   south-­‐east   Florida,   and  
like   that   area   seawater   penetrates   into   the   subsurface   sequence   which  
introduces   cold   water   into   an   environment   where   temperatures   would  
normally  increase  with  depth.  
 
The  Bahamas  has  a  reverse  geothermal  gradient,  whereby  the  cold  water  
of   the   Atlantic   penetrates   into   the   subsurface   and   like   the   ocean   the  
water   gets   colder   with   depth.   This   means   that   you   can   get   access   to  
colder  water  by  simply  drilling  deeper  holes.  To  date  all  wells  drilled  down  
to   depths   of   700   feet,   and   thereabouts,   that   have   had   temperatures  
logged  have  proven  to  demonstrate  a  reverse  geothermal  gradient.  
 
In  addition  to  the  presence  of  colder  water  at  depth,  geophysical  logs  and  
pumping   tests   have   shown   that   these   subsurface   formations   are   highly  
permeable   and   vast   volumes   of   water   can   be   abstracted   from   them   or  
alternatively   disposed   off   in   them.   At   present   the   widespread   cavern  
systems   that   developed   during   the   periods   of   lower   sea   levels,   during   the  
glacial   advances,   are   used   for   various   purposes,   and   these   are   most  
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 common   at   depths   that   range   between   400   and   600   feet   below   present  
sea  level.    
 
DEEP  WELL  USE  IN  THE  BAHAMAS:  
 
Deep  wells  are  used  throughout  the  Bahamas  archipelago.  They  are  used  
for   treated   liquid   waste   disposal,   storm   water   drainage,   waste   brine  
disposal,  and  for  the  disposal  of  water  that  was  used  for  cooling  purposes.  
Deep   wells   are   also   used   to   provide   a   clean   source   of   seawater   for  
desalination,   water   used   for   cooling   purposes,   and   even   facilities   like  
seawater  aquariums.    
 
In   the   Blue   Hills   area   of   New   Providence   approximately   20   million   gallons  
per  day  have  been  abstracted  from  100  to  200  feet  below  the  surface  to  
cool  BEC’s  turbines  and  then  this  water  is  injected  back  into  the  ground  in  
disposal  wells  that  discharge  at  depths  ranging  from  400  to  600  feet.  This  
process  has  been  going  on  successfully  for  more  than  30  years.  
 
Usually   deep   wells   in   the   Bahamas   can   receive   saline   liquid   wastes   with  
little   need   for   high   pressure   pumping,   and   the   process   has   been   very  
successful  in  almost  all  situations.  Where  there  have  been  failures  these  
have   usually   resulted   from   the   improper   installation   of   casings   and   grout,  
the   use   of   unsuitable   casing   materials,   and   blockages   caused   by   debris  
and  floatable  material  being  discharged  into  the  well.  
 
 OTHER  POTENTIAL  USES  OF  DEEP  WELLS:  
 
Because   the   data   available   at   present   indicates   that   the   water   in   the  
subsurface  formations  has  the  same  temperature  to  that  of  similar  depth  
in  the  sea,  there  is  a  good  likelihood  that  this  continues  to  even  greater  
depths.   It   is   considered   more   than   likely   that   at   a   depth   of   approximately  
3000   feet   the   water   in   the   ground   will   have   a   temperature   of   6   degrees  
Centigrade.   This   is   the   temperature   needed   for   successful   application   of  
OTEC  technology  in  the  Bahamas.    
 
If   a   test   well     drilled   to   this   depth   proves   this   contention   to   be   correct,  
and   pumping   tests   and   geophysical   logs   suggest   that   similar   high  

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 transmissivities   occur   in   the   rock   formation,   then   wells   can   be   used   to  
provide   the   cold   water   needed   for   the   OTEC   process   in   the   Bahamas.  
Wells   would   be   far   cheaper   to   install   than   the   pipelines   that   normally  
need  to  be  laid  to  obtain  cold  water  as  has  been  done  in  Hawaii.    
 
Grandelli  (1997)  estimated  that  the  costs  involved  in  installing  a  3-­‐meter  
diameter   deep   cold   water   pipe   into   the   ocean   at   Clifton   Pier   would   be  
approximately  51%  of  the  total  cost  of  building  the  OTEC  plant,  which  he  
estimated   at   $56.4   million,   excluding   contingencies.   Boreholes   are  
expected   to   be   significantly   less,   though   no   estimates   are   presently  
available.     These   savings   alone   are   significant   enough   to   justify   the   use   of  
OTEC  and  SDC  in  the  Bahamas  on  a  large  scale.  SDC  is  presently  used  in  a  
few  locations  in  the  Bahamas,  but  not  without  the  use  of  chillers.  
 
The   significantly   lower   cost   of   utilizing   vertical   boreholes   as   a   source   of  
cold  water  as  compared  to  surface-­‐laid   pipelines   would  mean  that  OTEC  
technology   could   be   implemented   on   a   smaller   scale   than   presently  
envisaged.   Other   Bahamian   islands   like   Grand   Bahama,   Abaco,   and  
Eleuthera  could  have  plants  to  provide  power  and  water  at  a  lower  cost  
using   non-­‐polluting   renewable   energy.   Similar   application   would   be  
feasible   in   the   Turks   and   Caicos   Islands   and   possibly   other   ocean-­‐island  
situations.  
 
Funding   needs   to   be   made   available   to   drill   the   appropriate   deep   test  
well,   and  carry  out  the  necessary  pumping  tests,  and  geophysical  logging.  
If   this   exercise   proves   to   be   successful   then   the   feasibility   of   developing  
an   OTEC   project   in   the   Bahamas   will   be   greatly   enhanced.   The   Bahamas  
could  become  a  world  leader  in  the  use  of  OTEC,  and  SDC  technology.    
 
PROPOSED  TEST  WELL  PROJECT:  
 
It   is   proposed   that   a   test   well   be   drilled   to   confirm   that   the   cold   water  
needed   for   OTEC   application   is   available.   A   well   needs   to   be   drilled   to  
approximately   3000   feet,   and   appropriately   tested.   The   well   can   also   be  
tested   at   shallower   depths   to   obtain   additional   data   that   would   be   useful  
for  possible  SDC  projects.  
 

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  Hydrological  Associates  Inc.  who  provide  drilling  services  in  Nassau,  and  
other   islands,   have   provided   a   cost   estimate   for   a   1000-­‐foot   borehole  
located   near   to   Clifton   Pier   using   dual-­‐tube,   reverse-­‐air   rotary   drilling  
technology.  The  cost  which  would  include  geologic  logging,  core  sampling,  
geophysical   logging,   and   installation   of   a   2-­‐inch   PVC-­‐lined   monitor   well  
would  be  $194,500.  
 
A   similar   well   drilled   to   3000   feet   would   be   $1,220,000.   Costs   could   be  
reduced   by   the   installation   of   a   single   well   without   a   casing   for  
monitoring.  
 
PROPOSED  ACTION  TO  MOVE  FORWARD.  
 
The  Ministry  of  the  Environment,  BEC,  WSC,  and  other  interested  parties  
need  to  seek  funding  for  the  test  wells.  If  the  subsequent  findings  support  
the   contention   that   the   reverse   geothermal   gradient   can   provide   the   cold  
water   needed   from   deep   wells   then   cost   estimates   can   be   prepared   to  
install  an  OTEC  plant  to  meet  the  anticipated  energy  and  water  demands  
of   New   Providence,   and   other   Bahamian   islands,   for   the   foreseeable  
future.    
 
BACKGROUND  REFERENCE  MATERIAL:  
 
Sealey,   Neil   E.   1994,   Bahamian   Landscapes:   An   introduction   to   the  
Geography   of   the   Bahamas,   Second   Edition,   Nassau,   Bahamas,   Media  
Publishing.  
 
Cant,   R.V.   1982,   Subsurface   correlation   of   the   Geology   of   Florida   with   the  
Bahamas   Bank,   internal   report   produced   for   the   Ministry   of   Works   and  
Utilities,  Nassau,  Bahamas.  
 
Cant,   R.V.   1982,   A   re-­‐evaluation   of   the   correlation   of   the   subsurface  
Geology   of   South_East   Florida   with   the   Great   Bahama   Bank,   internal  
report  produced  for  the  Ministry  of  Works  and  Utilities,  Nassau,  Bahamas.  
 

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 Kohout,  F.A.  1967,  Ground-­‐water  flow  and  the  geothermal  regime  of  the  
Floridan   Plateau:   Gulf   Coast   Association   of   Geological   Societies  
Transactions  v.  17,  p  339-­‐354.  
 
Whitaker,  F.F.  1992,  Hydrology,  Geochemistry,  and  Diagenesis  of  modern  
carbonate   platforms   in   the   Bahamas,   Ph.D.   dissertation,   University   of  
Bristol,  U.K.  
 
Cant,   R.V.   1992,   Geological   implications   of   deep   well   disposal   in   the  
Bahamas,   in   Natural   Hazards   in   the   Caribbean,   Special   Issue   No.   12,   J.  
Geol.  Soc.  Jamaica.  
 
Grandelli,  P.D.R.  1997,  Preliminary  Design  of  an  Integrated  Ocean  Thermal  
Energy  Conversion  Cleanpower  Plant  on  New  Providence  Island,  Bahamas.    
M.Sc.  thesis,  University  of  Hawaii.  
 
RVC  Sept.  2011.  
 
 
 
 

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