INCOIS comes out with atlas to showcase vast potential of ocean energy resources

Hyderabad, Sep 19 (PTI) The city-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has prepared an atlas for the first time, estimating the ocean energy potential from the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The INCOIS said offshore renewable energy, such as solar, wind, wave, tidal, ocean thermal energy conversion and salinity gradient remains largely untapped potential for renewables.

Offshore renewable energy can significantly aid in the energy transition and develop a global blue economy.

The first step towards harnessing the blue energy potential is to estimate the available reserves of various forms of energy within the country's EEZ. Towards this, INCOIS has developed the Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas of the EEZ.

It showcases the vast potential of ocean energy resources in the EEZ, encompassing marine meteorological (solar and wind) and hydrological (wave, tide, currents, ocean thermal, and salinity gradients) energy forms, the INCOIS said.

The atlas, launched recently, identifies areas with high potential for energy generation and will serve as an extremely valuable reference for policy makers, industry and researchers, as the nation moves towards harnessing the rich energy resources available in the Indian EEZ.

"INCOIS has estimated integrated ocean energy of 9.2 lakh terawatt hours (TWh) per annum within the EEZ of India," INCOIS said.

It also has estimates of individual forms of energy that are projected for five sectors within the Indian EEZ.

INCOIS said it strongly believes that the atlas provides hitherto unavailable insights for long-term planning of the country's energy requirements and contributes to the development of the blue economy.

At the inauguration, M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, discussed the atlas's potential to drive sustainable energy solutions and stimulate economic growth, underscoring its importance for future energy planning and development. PTI SJR KH