Harvest energy through osmosis
Water is a favorite source of energy. Whether it is the source of hydrogen for fuel cells or collecting energy from waves and tides, water is proving to be an excellent source for powering cars, homes and cities. Now power can be derived from osmosis.
Statkraft, one of the Europe’s biggest suppliers of renewable energy, opened the first osmotic power plant last month. The Osmotic Power Plant Prototype was opened in Tofte, Norway. The potential energy from osmotic power plants is projected to be 1600 to 1700 TWh worldwide.
Osmotic energy is derived from osmosis. General science describes osmosis as “the diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane” . In biology class osmosis was described as the mechanism by which water flows through a cell membrane. As Statkraft states:
When fresh water meets salt water, for instance where a river runs into the sea, enormous amounts of energy are released. This energy can be utilized for the generation of power through osmosis.
The power plant will guide salt water and fresh water into two separate chambers. The chambers are separated by “an artificial membrane” that allows freshwater to be pulled through by the salt in the salt water. The pressure increases on the salt water side equaling a 120 meter water column. That pressure can be used to run a turbine generating electricity.
Power plants could conceivably be built anywhere rivers run into the sea, that includes underground runoff. The plants could actually be built underground and in the basement of industrial buildings.
One of the wonderful things about osmotic power and power plants is that they don’t damage the environment. They don’t discharge any dangerous compounds into the air, water or land. Water isn’t contaminated so the wildlife and plant life surrounding an osmotic power plant won’t be damaged in any way.
The Norwegian prototype will be used primarily for development and testing although it will also generate a limited amount of electricity. The plan is to build fully functional osmotic power plants within the next few years.
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