For moored OTEC plants, an anchor or anchors is required to hold 

 the structure on station in water depths to 20,000 feet under all 

 environmental conditions. 



Availability . The OTEC plant must be constructable and deployable. 

 The current target schedule for OTEC development is to complete concept 

 design by the end of 1979, a 25- to 50- Mw, prototype by 1982, and 

 an operating 100- Mw demonstration plant by 1987. The approach to 

 meet this schedule is (1) to utilize state-of-the-art engineering, 

 construction, and marine operations capabilities, (2) to adapt the state- 

 of-the-art to the OTEC application by engineering investigations, 

 engineering development including validation testing of critical compon- 

 ents, and extension of marine and construction methods j and (3) to 

 generate new information from research and technology 



Reliability. Throughout the 25- to 40-year life the standard of 

 safety and degree of long-term reliability — including survival in extreme 

 conditions — need to be high. Total loss of the facility or loss of 

 personnel is unacceptable; however, a partial structural failure that 

 would interrupt power generation for a limited time would be acceptable. 



Structural Requirements 



To provide the system requirements of capability, availability and 

 reliability will require certain structural characteristics which are 

 described below. 



The structural requirements to provide "System Capability" are: 

 1. Hydrodynamic Stability . The structure must be stable as a floating/ 

 moored vessel during construction, deployment, service, and modular 

 assembly and disassembly (if used) . 



