New Kind of Power Plant Gets Energy From Salt Water
A Norwegian company thinks it can squeeze enough electricity out of the natural phenomenon of osmosis to power China. Right now the company's plant can barely heat a tea kettle, but officials hope to power a village in a few years, and a lot more after that.
A Norwegian company thinks it can squeeze enough electricity out of the natural phenomenon of osmosis to power China. Right now the company’s plant can barely heat a tea kettle, but officials hope to power a village in a few years, and a lot more after that.
It works by separating seawater and freshwater with a membrane through which only the freshwater can move. The salty water pulls freshwater through, creating enough pressure to turn a turbine.
There’s a lot working against this. Did we mention it can barely heat a tea kettle at the moment? But if someone can figure it out, the technology is very promising in terms of environmental friendliness. It’s clean and renewable without the weather dependencies of wind and solar power.
And the Earth is just lousy with seawater — although one wonders where all this fresh water is supposed to come from. That’s been a major obstacle for other renewable energy plants. — PZS
Press release and video here.
Dig, Root, GrowBBC via Engadget:
At first it will produce a minuscule 4 kilowatts – enough to heat a large electric kettle.
But by 2015 the target is 25 megawatts – the same as a small wind farm.
This year, we’re all on shaky ground, and the need for independent journalism has never been greater. A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Your support is more than a donation. It helps us dig deeper into hidden truths, root out corruption and misinformation, and grow an informed, resilient community.
Independent journalism like Truthdig doesn't just report the news — it helps cultivate a better future.
Your tax-deductible gift powers fearless reporting and uncompromising analysis. Together, we can protect democracy and expose the stories that must be told.
Dig. Root. Grow. Cultivate a better future.
Donate today.
Environment
'Ministry' says follow scientific advice and stop advertising the fastest way to fry the planet as peak heat meets peak holiday flights.
Global Voices
Relief efforts begin after devastating flooding in Pakistan.
Forget Brexit; it's the Earth that's really important.
Extinction Rebellion plans to “get in the room” with the elite and effect change on the climate crisis through well-planned street actions.
The Category 5 storm was heading toward the U.S. coast late on Monday.
The linguist and activist calls Donald Trump’s climate policy “a death knell for the species,” and says there’s no effective opposition.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.