Abstract: A method for producing cold heat for cooling a process is provided. Seawater is pumped at a selected depth and cooled to create a mixture of ice and brine. The ice is separated from the brine. Cold heat is obtained by thawing the ice. A process cooling system for producing cold heat is also provided. A pumping station comprises a line system to obtain seawater and direct the seawater to an onshore cooling plant. A refrigerant circulates in an evaporation stage in a refrigeration circuit. A heat exchanger in the evaporation stage freezes a portion of the seawater in the line system with the refrigerant. A cooling plant is connected to the line system to receive the frozen seawater. The cooling plant comprises a separation tank for separating the frozen portion of seawater from brine, and a heat exchanger to cool the process by heat exchange with the frozen seawater.

Abstract: An apparatus for exploiting the thermal energy at the bottom of the ocean. The apparatus comprises a thermal energy harnessing assembly and a drilling assembly mounted thereto. The thermal energy harnessing assembly includes in-feed tube and out-feed tubes. The drilling assembly has openings in fluid communication with the in-feed tube and a thermal energy capturing conduit in fluid communication with the out-feed tube. When the drilling assembly engages a bottom surface of the ocean and fluid is introduced into the in-feed tube, fluid flows towards the drilling assembly and out of the openings at such a pressure as to drill into the bottom surface of the ocean allowing thermal energy to escape therefrom and to flow into the out-feed tube via the thermal energy capturing conduit.