Osmotic power plant prototype starts up

1 December 2009


Statkraft is hoping to prove the potential of a new and innovative power generation technology after opening the world’s first osmotic power prototype.

The Norwegian firm estimates that the global potential of the technology is 1600-1700 TWh per annum, equivalent to half of the EU’s total power production, and is hoping to build a commercial-scale osmotic power plant “within a few years”.

The osmotic prototype – located at Tofte and opened by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway – has a limited production capacity and will be used primarily for testing and development purposes. Statkraft has been researching the technology since 1997.

The technology takes advantage of osmosic pressure, created by action of water molecules passing through a semi-permeable membrane berween solutions of different concentration. An osmotic power plant exploits the energy available when fresh water and seawater are present together, and could be located anywhere that a river flows into the sea.

At the operating centre of the power plant, fresh water and salt water are guided into separate chambers, divided by an artificial membrane. The salt molecules in the seawater 'pull' the fresh water through the membrane, increasing the pressure on the sea water side. The pressure equals a 120 metre water column, about four atmospheres and sufficiently energetic to be used in a power generating turbine.

“I want to congratulate Statkraft with the opening of the osmotic power prototype. Innovative energy solutions are essential to meet the climate challenges, and I am pleased that a Norwegian company is a front runner in developing these technologies,” said Terje Riis-Johansen, Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy.

“We appreciate that a major company like Statkraft invests in new, renewable solutions. We will work together with Statkraft to secure that the solutions also are sustainable solutions,” said Rasmus Hansson, CEO of WWF Norway.




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