Prospects and challenges of seawater source heat pump utilization in China: A systematic review

Seawater source heat pumps (SWSHP) offer promising renewable energy solutions for coastal cities, aligning with China's carbon neutrality goals. This comprehensive review synthesizes state-of-the-art SWSHP technology, identifies key research gaps, and proposes future research directions. SWSHP systems are classified into open and closed loops, with analysis of seawater intake modes and heat exchanger types. Performance evaluation indexes for energy, economic, and environmental aspects are summarized. The review highlights SWSHP's potential in district heating and mariculture, emphasizing the importance of considering seawater temperature, tides, and district characteristics for implementation. Key challenges identified include corrosion issues, thermal pollution, suboptimal complementary energy design, and techno-economic barriers. An interdisciplinary perspective offers a holistic view of SWSHP systems and their impacts. The review contributes by identifying seven critical research areas: large-scale SWSHP systems, multi-energy integration, energy storage integration, mariculture-specific applications, comprehensive evaluation frameworks, marine ecological impact assessments, and cutting-edge technology development. This work provides valuable insights for policy decisions and critical analysis of current limitations, aiming to advance SWSHP technology and promote sustainable implementation in coastal regions. By addressing these research gaps and focusing on proposed directions, this review guides future research and development in the renewable energy sector, supporting the transition towards sustainable energy utilization and climate change mitigation.