Salt Power: Norway Project Gives Osmotic Energy a Shake
Ocean energy lurks not only in waves and tides, but also in saltiness. A Norway experiment seeks to harness renewable power in saltwater’s natural movement into fresh water.
Tofte, an hour south of Oslo on the inlet known as Oslofjord, is home to a waterfront cellulose factory and not much else. But for more than three years, Norwegian energy company Statkraft has been rather quietly testing the technology in the world's first osmotic power plant, in a renovated wing of the town's factory.
With a meager two to four kilowatts of capacity, barely enough power to foam a cappuccino, the plant is a decidedly small start. But the Norwegian Center for Renewable Energy (SFFE) pegs the global potential of osmotic power to be about 1,370 terawatt-hours per year, about equivalent to the current electricity consumption of Eastern Europe and Russia combined. (Related Quiz: What You Don't Know
