Under the agreement, Nitto Denko/Hydranautics will develop membranes specifically designed for the use in large scale osmotic power plants.
Norway’s Statkraft has developed osmotic power for a decade and opened the world’s first prototype facility for osmotic power in 2009. Membrane is a key component in osmotic power generation and the agreement between the two companies will accelerate the development of the new renewable energy technology.
“Together Nitto Denko and Statkraft will take on the key challenges in osmotic power, and develop a new alternative for renewable energy,”said Stein Erik Skilhagen, head of Osmotic Power at Statkraft.
“We are very pleased to work with Statkraft to develop the membrane technology needed to make osmotic power a reality,” said Yasushi Nakahira, general manager of Nitto Denko Global Membrane Division and CEO of Hydranautics. “Renewable energy sources are critical for the future and developing membrane elements for osmotic power generation aligns very well with Nitto Denko’s strategy for environmental and clean energy related business growth.”