Fukuoka Osmotic Power Plant

[Black Orchid]

Japan has unveiled its first osmotic power facility in the coastal city of Fukuoka, marking a step into a little-known but promising form of renewable energy. This installation, only the second of its kind worldwide, is designed to generate around 880,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year, enough to help operate a local desalination plant that provides drinking water for Fukuoka and nearby communities.

According to Dr Ali Altaee of the University of Technology Sydney, that output could supply roughly 220 average Japanese households. Though still in its early stages and relatively small in scale, osmotic power offers one major advantage over other renewable sources: it runs continuously, unaffected by changes in weather or daylight. By drawing energy from the natural mixing of saltwater and freshwater, the process delivers a reliable, round-the-clock supply. In this article, we will discuss what osmotic power is and how it might be used in the future.

What is Osmotic Power?

Osmosis is a natural phenomenon where water moves through a semipermeable barrier from a solution with lower concentration to one with higher concentration, aiming to equalise both sides. Imagine a glass split in half by a thin, selective membrane. On one side is saltwater, and on the other is fresh water. Because the salt cannot cross the barrier, the freshwater gradually flows toward the saltier side, diluting it in the process.

Osmotic power plants apply this same process by positioning seawater and freshwater on opposite sides of a specially designed membrane, with the seawater kept under mild pressure. As freshwater moves across into the saltier side, the volume of pressurised liquid grows, creating energy that can be captured. At the Fukuoka site, either river water or treated wastewater is combined with seawater in this setup. The resulting pressure build-up drives some of the water through a turbine linked to a generator, converting the natural flow into usable electricity.

https://www.renewableinstitute.org/japa ... an-energy/

[Jasin]

I'll give them a thumbs up for trying something new.
I hope it works well.
Good post BO.