Complementarity of Brazil’s Ocean Thermal Gradient Energy and Offshore Wind Power

Abstract This study investigates the complementarity between the ocean thermal gradient and offshore wind energy in the Potiguar and Campos basins of Brazil. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) operates through the Rankine thermodynamic cycle using the temperature gradient between the ocean surface and deep waters, while offshore wind energy harnesses atmospheric wind flows. To assess their potential, ocean’s temperature and wind speed data from HYCOM and ERA5 models, spanning 2000–2019, are analyzed. The complementarity between these sources is evaluated using Kendall and Pearson correlation coefficients and the Coefficient of Variation (CV). Results reveal that OTEC demonstrates significantly lower CV values compared to wind energy, indicating greater stability and reliability. For instance, in the Potiguar Basin, OTEC exhibited a CV of 0.001, contrasting sharply with wind energy’s CV of 0.45. Moreover, negative correlation coefficients, such as Kendall -0.38 and Pearson -0.51, highlight an inverse relationship between the two sources, emphasizing their complementary nature. OTEC consistently delivers around 15 MW of energy output across seasons, effectively balancing wind energy variability, which peaks in spring and declines in autumn. These findings underscore the potential of integrating OTEC and wind energy technologies into hybrid systems to ensure a reliable and sustainable energy supply while significantly reducing the carbon footprint of offshore oil and gas operations.