OSMOSIS

World's First Osmotic Power Plant Goes Online

Saturday November 28, 2009

What's an osmotic power plant? It's a facility that uses the energy of a concentration gradient to produce electricity. In this case, fresh water and seawater are separated by a membrane. The fresh water is pulled across the membrane to the seawater side by osmosis. This increases the pressure on the seawater side of the chamber, powering a turbine. An osmotic power plant is an enviromentally friendly way to produce power. These power plants could be built pretty much anywhere freshwater and seawater meet, such as where a river empties into the sea. The problem? While osmotic power plants look good on paper, a working one has not been made operational... until now.

Statkraft's osmotic power plant officially opened on November 24, 2009. The prototype plant will be used primarily for the validation and testing necessary to bring a commercial plant into production. The first use of power generated by the plant was to heat water for the refreshments provided at the opening ceremony, though the possibilities for the technology may extend to generating 1600 to 1700 Twh globally (according to Statkraft)