Japan has opened its first osmotic power plant in the southern city of Fukuoka. Without this milestone, renewable energy development would be far behind today’s pace. This facility is the second of its kind in the world after the U.S. It comes on the heels of the opening of a similar plant in Mariager, Denmark, earlier this year. Fukuoka plant turns out to be Japan’s first osmotic power. These claims make the Fukuoka plant the first osmotic power plant in Japan. It functions at a much broader scope than its Danish sister.
The Fukuoka osmotic power plant harnesses energy from the natural process of mixing fresh and saltwater. In doing so, it harnesses this energy into a clean, renewable power source. This system is expected to produce around 880,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. That’s enough electricity to operate a desalination facility, which will supply potable water to Fukuoka and the surrounding areas. This output is roughly the energy consumption of about 220 Japanese homes.
How Osmotic Power Works
At the heart of osmotic power tech is a semipermeable membrane that divides two bodies of water—freshwater and seawater. When salty and fresh water meet, energy is released in the process, energy that can be harnessed and turned into electricity. This process happens literally every second, making it a constant and reliable source of energy no matter the time of day.
The Fukuoka plant uses concentrated seawater, i.e., the brine that is generated through desalination operations, as its feedstock. This method further maximizes the difference between the salt concentrations and increases the energy potential from the mixing process.
“It is also noteworthy that the Japanese plant uses concentrated seawater, the brine left after removal of fresh water in a desalination plant, as the feed, which increases the difference in salt concentrations and thus the energy available.” – Prof. Sandra Kentish, University of Melbourne
Osmotic power is an exciting new renewable energy prospect, but hurdles are still plentiful. The pumping of water streams and friction across membranes wastes a good deal of energy.
“While energy is released when the salt water is mixed with fresh water, a lot of energy is lost in pumping the two streams into the power plant and from the frictional loss across the membranes. This means that the net energy that can be gained is small,” – Kentish
Global Context and Future Prospects
The Fukuoka facility is Japan’s latest step toward a future powered by wide-ranging renewable energies, fueled by increasing environmental awareness. This building is another step in a worldwide, collaborative effort to further develop osmotic power technologies. Pilot-scale demonstrations are already underway in Norway and South Korea.
Membrane and pump technology innovation are booming. These advancements hold the potential to save a lot, significantly increasing the efficiency of osmotic power. Researchers are very hopeful about the future potential for osmotic energy to be a truly viable part of our sustainable energy systems.
Dr. Ali Altaee from the University of Technology Sydney emphasizes that Australia has untapped resources for osmotic power generation.
“We have salt lakes around New South Wales and Sydney that could be used as a resource and we also have the expertise to build it.” – Dr. Ali Altaee
With the Fukuoka osmotic power plant, the groundwork has been laid to pursue similar projects in other areas. It supports clean and renewable energy generation while making crucial strides to tackle immediate water crises.