Deep Water Industry in Taiwan?

Radio Taiwan International brings this report about industrial development offshore...

Taiwan's Water Resources Agency says Taiwan companies are developing deep-sea water industries on the east coast.

The Water Resources Agency said on Wednesday that it plans to invest close to NT$1 billion (US$30.52 million) over the next 4 years. The money would go to subsidizing companies that are developing deep-sea industries off Taiwan's east coast.

The Agency said it estimates an annual output value of NT$18 billion or almost 550 million US dollars (US$549.283 million).

All ocean water below 200 meters is considered deep-sea water. It is water that is low in temperature but high in sustenance and is very clean. That is why many companies want to use it for drinking water, processed foods, table salt, health care tonics, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

In addition to these industries, the government ought to think about installing some experimental OTEC systems on the east coast. OTEC works by using the heat in sun-warmed ocean waters to boil a working fluid that boils at a very low temperature....

OTEC, or ocean thermal energy conversion, is an energy technology that converts solar radiation to electric power. OTEC systems use the ocean's natural thermal gradient—the fact that the ocean's layers of water have different temperatures—to drive a power-producing cycle. As long as the temperature between the warm surface water and the cold deep water differs by about 20°C (36°F), an OTEC system can produce a significant amount of power. The oceans are thus a vast renewable resource, with the potential to help us produce billions of watts of electric power. This potential is estimated to be about 10¹³ watts of baseload power generation, according to some experts. The cold, deep seawater used in the OTEC process is also rich in nutrients, and it can be used to culture both marine organisms and plant life near the shore or on land.

Yes, you read that right. OTEC is an energy process whose waste product is clean water. It's hugely inefficient, and the technical problems are mighty, but the potential is vast....

[Taiwan]