POWER FROM THE OCEAN

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1930, Page 11

POWER FROM THE OCEAN

The experimental plant which Georges' Claude set up at Ougree for the purpose of investigating the possibility of obtaining power from temperature differences between the surface- and bottom of a body of water appears to have operated successfully. At any rate, his experiments are now going to bo carried further, and an experimental plant on a much larger scale set up near Havana. The original intention was to have the plant on shore near Havana, but investigation proved that the coral bottom in that vicinity was uneven and not at all favourable to the project. Consequently a yacht was purchased and equipped to study the ocean bottom, its currents and its temperature in various neighbouring localities. As a result, a site has been selected in Matanzas Bay, about sixty-two miles east of Havana. Here the apparatus taken from Ougree will be set up. A pipe of corrugated metal lined with heat-insulating material will run out to sea and extend downward for nearly 2,000 feet. It is expected that tho plant will bo ready for operation in June. That the plantis purely an experimental, one is evidenced by the fact that the pipe is not protected against corrosion. It is expected that it will last during the period of experimentation, and if this proves encouraging' a moro permanent installation can then be made.