Why in the News?

Researchers at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad have developed the Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas.

This atlas identifies potential sites along India’s coastline that can generate energy from blue renewable sources such as tidal waves and currents.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About INCOIS (Objective, Activities, etc.)
• Blue Renewable Energy Sources (Meaning, Types, etc.)
• News Summary

About INCOIS:

• Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is an autonomous organization, established in 1999, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• It is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO).
• Objective: To provide ocean data, information and advisory services to society, industry, the government and the scientific community.
• Activities of INCOIS Include:
  • Provides round-the-clock monitoring and warning services for the coastal population on tsunamis, storm surges, high waves, etc.
  • Provides daily advisories to fisher folk to help them easily locate areas of abundant fish in the ocean while saving on both fuel and time used to search for the same.
  • Short term (3-7 days) Ocean State Forecasts (waves, currents, sea surface temperature, etc.) are issued daily.
  • Deploys and maintains a suite of Ocean Observing Systems in the Indian Ocean to collect data on various oceanic parameters to understand the processes in the ocean and to predict their changes.

Blue Renewable Energy Sources:

• Blue Renewable Energy Sources refer to sustainable energy derived from the ocean's natural forces, including tidal waves, ocean currents, and thermal gradients.
• These sources harness the immense power of the sea to generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases, making them a clean and eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.
• Key types of blue renewable energy include:
  • Tidal Energy: Generated from the rise and fall of tides, tidal energy uses turbines placed in tidal streams or barrages to produce electricity.
  • Wave Energy: Captures energy from surface waves using floating devices or underwater systems, converting the kinetic motion of waves into power.
  • Ocean Current Energy: Utilizes the continuous flow of ocean currents to turn underwater turbines, generating consistent and predictable electricity.
  • Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC): Exploits the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep water to generate power, often using a heat engine.
• Blue renewable energy holds significant potential for sustainable power generation, particularly for coastal and island nations, providing a reliable and environmentally friendly energy solution.

India could generate up to 9.2 lakh TWH from its Blue Renewable Energy Sources - Summary

• Researchers at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) have developed the Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas.
• This first-of-its-kind atlas maps potential sites along India’s coastline for generating blue renewable energy from sources like tidal waves, currents, and salinity gradients.
• Covering India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of up to 220 km from the coast, the atlas estimates that the EEZ could generate about 9.2 lakh terawatt hours (TWh) of energy.
• The atlas incorporates data from the past 20-30 years, assessing energy potential with daily, monthly, and annual estimates, aiding industries, policymakers, and researchers in planning and decision-making for harnessing blue energy.
• It also considers fishing zones, shipping lines, cyclone-prone areas, and eco-sensitive regions to guide infrastructure planning.
• The atlas highlights key areas suitable for different energy sources, like tidal waves in Gujarat and West Bengal, and salinity gradients in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.
• The govt of India is encouraging expanding this assessment to other countries in the Indian Ocean to gain a comprehensive regional understanding.