"1st Project Of Its Kind": Minister Jitendra Singh To NDTV On New Ocean-Powered Plant In Lakshadweep

Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh has said India is building a unique ocean based facility in Lakshadweep that will generate both electricity and drinking water from the sea, a project he described as the first integrated system of its kind globally.

In an exclusive interview to NDTV at Kavaratti, the minister explained how ocean technologies developed by Indian scientists are being used to solve one of the biggest challenges faced by island communities, access to freshwater and reliable power.

"Water Everywhere But Not A Drop To Drink"

Speaking at the island capital, Singh said the project builds on the success of Low Temperature Thermal Desalination plants already installed across Lakshadweep.

During the #Lakshadweep visit, at the capital island of #Kavaratti, looking forward to inspect the world's first OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) Plant to generate clean energy and simultaneously provide drinking water after desalinating the salty sea water.
Proud of the… pic.twitter.com/cWKUX9v8ru

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) March 6, 2026

Question: What new facilities is the Ministry of Earth Sciences bringing to improve the lives of people in Lakshadweep?

Dr Jitendra Singh: We are standing in Kavaratti, the capital island of Lakshadweep. It has also become a major tourist destination, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the islands and encouraged tourism initiatives. Government employees can now travel here under the Leave Travel Concession scheme and we are seeing increasing interest from foreign tourists as well.

This is the first desalination plant installed by the Government of India through the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It uses Low Temperature Thermal Desalination technology.

The idea is simple. The sea around us has water everywhere but it is not drinkable because it is salty. Using this technology, warm surface water from the Arabian Sea is brought to the plant while cold water is drawn from deep below the ocean. When these two temperatures interact, evaporation takes place and the vapour is condensed to produce freshwater.

"1st Project Of Its Kind": Minister Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) To NDTV's @aishvaryjain On New Ocean-Powered Plant In Lakshadweep

Read more: https://t.co/ioXh5NxJ7c pic.twitter.com/H099cyPL9s

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 10, 2026

The minister further said the first plant was set up in Kavaratti and similar facilities have now been installed in eight islands of Lakshadweep, with two more planned.

Question: The process sounds complex. Can you explain it in simple language?

Dr Jitendra Singh: The credit goes entirely to Indian scientists. What they have done now is integrate two technologies so that we can produce both clean drinking water and electricity.

"You can see two pipes coming from the sea. One carries warm surface water and the other brings cold water from deep below the ocean. This temperature difference is used in the plant.

The facility here can produce around one lakh litres of drinking water every day. Some of the other islands have plants with even higher capacity.

Earlier electricity here depended on diesel brought from the mainland, which was expensive and not environmentally friendly.

Question: The government has been talking about the Blue Economy and tourism in Lakshadweep. How will these facilities help the islands?

Dr Jitendra Singh: Tourists will only come when basic facilities are available. The Prime Minister has given very high priority to the development of island territories and the Deep Ocean Mission.

He (PM Narendra Modi) has spoken about these initiatives from the ramparts of the Red Fort as well. The focus on island development has increased significantly and improved infrastructure will support tourism and economic activity here.

Singh said the next step is a new facility that integrates desalination with Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion technology.

Question: What makes the new facility unique?

Dr Jitendra Singh: The earlier system was only a desalination plant where seawater was converted into drinking water. Now we are developing an integrated facility which will generate both electricity and drinking water at the same time.

This is the first project of its kind in the world. In this system, warm surface water and cold deep-sea water are brought together. The temperature difference creates a thermal process similar to what happens in a conventional power plant.

This process produces electricity while also generating freshwater. The advantage is that the island becomes self-sufficient both in drinking water and in energy.

Question: Some experts say India could use membrane-based desalination technology used in countries like Israel. Why not adopt that system?

Dr Jitendra Singh: The membrane technology is not always cost effective and it can also have environmental implications.

In such systems, the salt removed from seawater is often discharged back into the ocean in very high concentration. That can affect marine life and ecosystems.

"Our technology is more environmentally friendly and cost effective. It also aligns with the concept of self reliance and the Atmanirbhar approach."

A Larger Vision For Island Development

According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the desalination plants developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology have already transformed water access in Lakshadweep.

Freshwater availability in the islands has historically been limited due to saline groundwater and dependence on rainfall. The new technology uses the natural temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep sea water to produce potable water without chemical additives or high pressure membranes.

The upcoming Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion powered desalination plant at Kavaratti will go a step further. It will generate electricity and drinking water simultaneously by using the ocean's thermal gradient. The project will draw cold water from depths of nearly 1000 metres through a deep sea pipeline and use it to run the energy conversion system.

Officials say the integrated facility will reduce dependence on diesel based power generation in Lakshadweep while strengthening water security and supporting tourism and economic activity in the islands.

With this project, India aims to position itself among the few countries exploring large scale ocean based renewable energy systems while advancing the blue economy in its island territories.