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World's first osmotic power plant opens in Norway
Osmotic power, you say? That's exactly what brings the juice in one of Norway's Statkraft plants, which opened yesterday. According to the company, the plant generates electricity thanks to a bank of cells that force osmosis:
"The plant generates power by exploiting the energy available when fresh water and seawater are mixed. Osmotic power is a renewable and emissions-free energy source that Statkraft has been researching into for 10 years and that will be capable of making a substantial global contribution to eco-friendly power production."
It looks like the technology stills needs a bit of time to mature, though, according to Statkraft, "the global potential of osmotic power is estimated to be 1,600-1,700 TWh per annum, equivalent to 50 percent of the EU's total power production," and plants can be installed anywhere where fresh water streams into the sea.
Will it save the world's energy crisis? Probably not — at least, not yet. It is another option, though, for clean, renewable energy.
By erik at 9:39 PM ON 11/25/09
This entire power plant produces 2kW. That was just enough to power the tea maker so the princess could get a cup. What a total joke, and waste of resources. A similar osmotic desalinator along the coast of Africa could have made enought water to save many lives. Now the princess get hot tea instead.
By Brass Orchid at 2:21 AM ON 11/26/09
Hot tea is a start. In the realm of scientific speculation, you can never say what avenue of investigation will lead you to useful results. Serendipitous crossovers happen all the time. Melinda who? Curiousity that is limited and focused may eventually produce results. Curiousity that is allowed to exist beyond the factory farm and wander about as free range curiousity may be more productive and enjoy better health. The only real answer, of course is, "To get to the other side."
By jay trini at 4:54 AM ON 11/26/09
@KevinHall : This is great. Never mind what sarcasm other guys are dishing out. This is one of the reasons I read Dvice in the first place. I think its brilliant and I'm keen on latest tech news of other kinds of projects on renewable/green/alternative energy.
By Brass Orchid at 6:20 AM ON 11/26/09
Sure. Cheap power with no environmental impact would be great. I'm all for it. Nobody is really opposed to it. The narrow focus on it may do more to prevent its discovery than to assist in it, though. A bottleneck isn't always the quickest or most profitable method of egress. That's sort of where the osmotic process intersects the discussion.
By Mr. Gumsandals at 7:10 AM ON 11/26/09
Go for it, Viking dudes!
By Gr3b at 4:20 AM ON 11/27/09
It is not the first osmotic power plant it is the first which uses pressure retarded osmosis (PRO).
Reverse electrodialysis[ (RED) is already commercially in uses since 2008 in the Netherlands along the "afsluitdijk".
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Gr3b:
It is not the first osmotic power plant it is the first which uses pressure retarded osmosis (PRO). Reverse electr...More »