The high efficiency of Energy Recovery’s PX devices increase the energy output and reduce the energy consumed during the osmotic power generation process to ensure the net-positive production of electricity.
Stein Erik Skilhagan, vice president of osmotic power at Statkraft said: “The commissioning of our pilot facility is a significant step toward the commercialization of this game-changing renewable energy source. According to our calculations, the global production potential of osmotic power could exceed 1,600 terawatt hours, or the equivalent of half of Europe’s entire energy demand. Although osmotic power has enormous potential, it is only economically feasible if you reduce the cost of creating it. Energy Recovery’s PX devices address this issue by considerably reducing energy use, allowing us to produce renewable electricity. We anticipate that the pilot plant will be quite successful and plan to implement the PX technology as we scale up to a commercial facility.”
Statkraft’s pilot osmosis plant is designed to produce 10 kW of renewable energy and by 2015, Statkraft plans to build a full-scale osmotic power plant capable of producing 25 MW of electricity.
Rick Stover, CTO of Energy Recovery, Inc said: “The ability to harness osmosis and turn it into a continuous supply of clean, renewable energy is an extremely important accomplishment for humanity and the environment. We applaud Statkraft on opening the pilot facility as a major milestone for osmotic power. We look forward to further developments in osmotic power technology, which could potentially use any saltwater or solution with a high osmotic potential to generate electricity. In every case, PX energy recovery devices will be an essential component, maintaining high osmotic pressure and maximizing net power output through high-efficiency performance. We look forward to playing an important role as osmotic power evolves as a significant source of global energy.”