World's First Osmotic Power Prototype Opens Today in Norway
Today Statkraft, one of Europe's leading renewable energy companies, opened the world's first osmotic power prototype just outside Oslo, Norway. The prototype 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 since 1997 and that will be capable of making a substantial global contribution to eco-friendly power production.
The company's President and CEO, Bård Mikkelsen stated: "This new technology generates electricity simply by mixing water. New solutions to meet the climate challenges might be closer than we expect [...] we are proud to be presenting a renewable energy source which has never been harnessed until now."
The prototype, which was developed in cooperation with R&D organisations from many countries, will have a limited production capacity and is intended primarily for testing and development purposes. The aim is to be capable of constructing a commercial osmotic power plant within a few years' time.
The global potential of osmotic power is enormous, being estimated at between 1,600-1,700 TWh per annum, which is equivalent to 50 percent of the European Union's total power production. Osmotic power plants can, in principle, be located wherever fresh water runs into the sea; they produce no noise or polluting emissions and they can be integrated into existing industrial zones, for example, in the basements of industrial buildings.
The project has attracted a lot of international interest, and several foreign guests attended the opening, which was conducted by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.