Why in the News?

• Researchers at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) developed the Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas, mapping India’s coastline for potential blue renewable energy sources like tidal waves and currents estimates that India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) could generate about 9.2 lakh TWh. It identifies West Bengal and Gujarat for tidal energy, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal for salinity gradient energy.

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)

• Established: 1999
• Headquarter: Hyderabad
• It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• It focuses on providing ocean information and services to support maritime safety, environmental protection, and sustainable use of ocean resources.
• Key Functions: Ocean Forecasting, Tsunami Early Warning, Marine Data & Research, Coastal & Marine Environment and Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas

Blue Renewable Energy

• It refers to the generation of renewable energy from oceanic and marine sources.
• Types
  • Tidal Energy: Utilizes the rise and fall of tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun.
  • Wave Energy: Captures the energy from surface waves and swells on the ocean.
  • Ocean Current Energy: Harnesses the energy from the continuous flow of ocean currents.
  • Salinity Gradient Energy: Exploits the difference in salt concentration between seawater and freshwater.
  • Marine Thermal Energy: Uses the temperature difference between warmer surface water and colder deep water.