Statkraft osmotic power prototype in Hurum

Statkraft osmotic power prototype is the world's first osmotic power plant, based on the energy of osmosis. The power plant is run by Statkraft. The power plant is located at Tofte in Hurum, Norway, with rooms at the factory area at Södra Cell Tofte cellulose factory. The power plant uses the osmotic gradient that occurs when fresh water and salt water meet, separated by a permeable membrane. The salt water pulls fresh water through the membrane and the pressure increases on the salt water side; this pressure increase can be used to produce electrical power with the use of a normal hydroelectric turbine/generator setup.

The plant is a prototype developed together with Sintef and began test power production on 24 November 2009.Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway officially opened the plant. This plant had been planned since the summer of 2008, with a water usage of 10 litres of fresh water and 20 litres of salt water per second. It is expected to give a power output of between 2-4 kW. With better membranes it is assumed that the power for a similar plant can be increased to about 10 kW. A commercial plant is expected to be built between 2012 and 2015.

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