3 October 2007ad.hoc.news
Statkraft has decided to build the world'sfirst prototype osmotic power plant. The company is also stepping upits initiatives to develop the technology further. Osmotic power is arenewable energy source.
Calculations indicate that the technologycould contribute around 1,600 TWh on a global basis annually.Osmotic power is based on the natural process of osmosis. In anosmotic power plant, sea water and fresh water are separated by amembrane. The sea water draws the fresh water through the membrane,thereby increasing the pressure on the sea water side. The increasedpressure is used to produce power.After ten years of research and development, Statkraft believes thetime is now right to build the first osmotic power plant prototypeand is therefore stepping up its initiatives and investments todevelop the technology. With this decision Statkraft will haveinvested more than NOK 100 million to develop a new, renewable energytechnology. The research work is supported by The Research Council ofNorway.The global technical potential for osmotic power production isestimated at around 1600 TWh, including around 200 TWh in Europe and12 TWh in Norway, or 10 percent of Norway's current power production.The innovation has already attracted attention in the internationalenergy community."We take the task of providing pure energy seriously, and osmoticpower is a very promising technology in which we are global leaders.It is clean and emission-free, and could become competitive within afew years," remarked Statkraft's CEO, Bård Mikkelsen.The prototype will provide Statkraft with a better understanding ofthe challenges involved in developing osmotic power technology andrepresents a necessary platform for the further development of thetechnology. The prototype plant will be built at the paper pulpmanufacturer Södra Cell Tofte's plant at Hurum in Buskerud, Norway.The location will provide the osmotic plant with a good supply offresh water and sea water, along with access to the establishedinfrastructure. Statkraft is very satisfied with the location and thecollaboration with a company with a green environmental profile and amajor focus on renewable energy.The construction of the prototype is expected to be completed by theend of 2008. The osmotic power plant will produce between 2-4 kW ofenergy.The Statkraft Group is a leading player in Europe within renewableenergy. The Group generates hydropower, wind power and districtheating and constructs gas power plants in Norway andGermany. Statkraft is a major player on the European energyexchanges. In Norway the company supplies electricity and heat toaround 600,000 customers through its shareholdings in othercompanies. In 2006 Statkraft recorded a profit after tax of NOK 6.3billion, and employed more than 2,100 employees in nine countries.The world needs pure energy. Statkraft works to deliver this everyday.For further information, please contact:Knut Fjerdingstad, Spokesperson, tel.: +47 24 06 71 61 / 90 18 63 10Torbjørn Steen, Vice President Communications, tel.: +47 24 06 72 28/ 911 66 888www.statkraft.com.
