As Hurricane Melissa Devastates, UK's Global OTEC’s Ocean Energy Platform Marks a Promising Future for Vulnerable States

British-engineered platform proves clean power can survive extreme seas, offering energy resilience for hurricane-vulnerable islands.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, October 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Hurricane Melissa tears through the Caribbean with devastating winds and flooding, a breakthrough in British-led ocean-energy technology is demonstrating a path toward resilience across the Atlantic.

UK-based clean-energy company Global OTEC has successfully installed Don — a storm-resilient ocean-thermal energy platform — off the coast of Gran Canaria. Developed through the EU-funded PLOTEC project, the platform shows how British engineering and European collaboration can deliver continuous, hurricane-ready clean power for the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

“Hurricane Melissa is a reminder that energy security and climate resilience are two sides of the same coin,” said Dan Grech, Founder & CEO of Global OTEC. “Our goal is to ensure that clean-power systems can survive and reduce down-time when the next storm hits.”

The platform’s cylindrical hull was designed in the UK, drawing on expertise from a pan-European consortium, including research partners include the University of Plymouth

Earlier this year, Global OTEC completed the Net Zero Technology Centre’s TechX Accelerator programme in Aberdeen, joining a select group of UK companies fast-tracking innovations to decarbonise the offshore-energy sector. The programme provided technical mentoring, investment readiness training, and access to the North Sea’s leading operators - enabling OTEC to move from concept to commercial prototype.

Mark Anderson, chief acceleration officer and TechX director at the Net Zero Technology Centre, said: "Global OTEC is a testament to how fast-moving startups can turn ambitious ideas into real-world impact. Since completing the TechX Accelerator they have taken a bold concept and delivered a storm-resilient platform that proves ocean energy can be reliable, scalable, and climate-ready.

"Their progress shows the power of innovation when talent, technology, and determination come together. This is exactly the kind of impact we aim to accelerate at TechX."

Tackling a Warming Ocean

The Atlantic’s record sea-surface temperatures — now fuelling stronger storms like Melissa — also hold the key to a new baseload energy source. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep water to drive a turbine and produce power 24 hours a day.

By combining this proven thermodynamic principle with storm-resilient design, Don will demonstrate that OTEC can operate safely in harsh conditions, providing a dependable alternative to diesel generation on island grids.

Equipped with advanced sensors from Fugro, the platform is now undergoing structural testing at PLOCAN. The resulting data will validate computational models and inform full-scale commercial systems capable of powering entire island nations or offshore facilities.

European Collaboration, British Leadership

The PLOTEC consortium unites: Global OTEC (UK), University of Plymouth (UK), Cleantech Engineering (UK), WavEC Offshore Renewables (PT), PLOCAN (ES), Quality Culture (IT) and Agru Kunststofftechnik (AT/UK).

Beyond advancing OTEC, the project strengthens Europe’s position in marine engineering, computational modelling, and climate-resilient infrastructure — with the UK at the forefront of offshore clean-energy design.

Sam Johnston, Lead Engineer at Global OTEC, said: “Our mission isn’t only to prove OTEC works — it’s to prove it works when the weather turns. That’s what will make clean power truly reliable for island and offshore communities.” Next Step Testing of Don will continue into 2026. Results will feed into the design of Global OTEC’s commercial-scale Power Module, a multi-megawatt system engineered and assembled in the UK for deployment across the tropics.

About Global OTEC

Global OTEC Resources Ltd is a UK-based clean-energy technology company developing floating Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems that deliver clean, reliable, and affordable baseload power from the sea. Headquartered in London, the company participated in the Net Zero Technology Centre’s TechX Accelerator 2025, and leads the EU-funded PLOTEC project while collaborating with major operators through the DeepStar Consortium (ExxonMobil, BP, Petrobras) to explore OTEC’s role in deep-water decarbonisation.

DANIEL GRECH
GLOBAL OTEC RESOURCES LTD
+44 7872 180411
email us here

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