Osmotic energy: A possible way out to power problems in Bangladesh
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Sayed Javed Ahmad
"Renewable Energy" is the current buzz word of the government mainly referring to "Solar Energy" and sometimes to "Wind Energy". But there is another form of renewable energy source, which is known as the "Osmotic Energy".
Osmotic power or 'salinity gradient power' is the energy available from the difference in the salt concentration between seawater and river water. Osmotic power is based on the natural process of osmosis. In an osmotic power plant, seawater and fresh water are separated by a membrane. The seawater draws the fresh water through the membrane, thereby increasing the pressure on the seawater side. The increased pressure is used to produce power. With membrane dividing fresh and salt water, osmosis will make the fresh water mix with the salt water creating a surplus of water on the salty side. This flow of water can be used to produce power. The force of osmosis can raise the water 120 metres, which is comparable to a huge waterfall.
Statkraft, a Norwegian company, opened the world's first facility for osmotic power generation. A full-scale commercial osmotic power plant could be ready by 2015.
Although an expensive project at this experimental stage, but our local engineers and technologists in cooperation with Statkraft could setup a low cost project using local resources and materials. The government could invest in a project like this that is bound to succeed even in a small scale considering all the investments that has already been made in many different failed projects. This exotic sounding process is actually quite simple. It uses two natural processes and a hydro turbine to make electricity. Therefore, I believe our team of BUET and other engineers from other engineering schools would be able to handle the project. A list of references are added at the end of the article for readers own investigation.
Not just Norway, the Netherlands has also set up a project plant for commercial viability. Bangladesh too could be an ideal location for such a project as we have the bay where the sweet river water meets the salty sea water naturally.
Due to salinity gradient principles the sweet and salt water does not mix. They maintain their differences in their meeting lines. Even the waters of different seas maintain a barrier as a result of their salinity differences.
Therefore, we have good opportunity to derive 'free energy' without any environmental pollution from the nature through a natural process, which is far better and safer alternative to a nuclear power plant.
: The demand for electricity has been growing at 7.0 per cent since 1990, but supply has not matched with that.
Electricity production is below 4000 megawatts a day while demand tops 6000 mw, leaving a gap of 2000 megawatts.
Lower investment in the power sector over the years is blamed for the frequent electricity blackouts, which the World Bank says costs the nation of 2.0 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). About 53 per cent of the country's population is not connected to the national grid. State Minister for Power and Energy Mohammad Enamul Haque recently said the government has fixed a target to generate 10 per cent of total electricity from renewable energy by 2020.
The state minister said the government has been working to increase electricity production by utilising all possible sources. He urged the researchers to find out more ways to utilise the potential of all renewable energies.
"Renewable Energy" is the current buzz word of the government mainly referring to "Solar Energy" and sometimes to "Wind Energy". But there is another form of renewable energy source, which is known as the "Osmotic Energy".
Osmotic power or 'salinity gradient power' is the energy available from the difference in the salt concentration between seawater and river water. Osmotic power is based on the natural process of osmosis. In an osmotic power plant, seawater and fresh water are separated by a membrane. The seawater draws the fresh water through the membrane, thereby increasing the pressure on the seawater side. The increased pressure is used to produce power. With membrane dividing fresh and salt water, osmosis will make the fresh water mix with the salt water creating a surplus of water on the salty side. This flow of water can be used to produce power. The force of osmosis can raise the water 120 metres, which is comparable to a huge waterfall.
Statkraft, a Norwegian company, opened the world's first facility for osmotic power generation. A full-scale commercial osmotic power plant could be ready by 2015.
Although an expensive project at this experimental stage, but our local engineers and technologists in cooperation with Statkraft could setup a low cost project using local resources and materials. The government could invest in a project like this that is bound to succeed even in a small scale considering all the investments that has already been made in many different failed projects. This exotic sounding process is actually quite simple. It uses two natural processes and a hydro turbine to make electricity. Therefore, I believe our team of BUET and other engineers from other engineering schools would be able to handle the project. A list of references are added at the end of the article for readers own investigation.
Not just Norway, the Netherlands has also set up a project plant for commercial viability. Bangladesh too could be an ideal location for such a project as we have the bay where the sweet river water meets the salty sea water naturally.
Due to salinity gradient principles the sweet and salt water does not mix. They maintain their differences in their meeting lines. Even the waters of different seas maintain a barrier as a result of their salinity differences.
Therefore, we have good opportunity to derive 'free energy' without any environmental pollution from the nature through a natural process, which is far better and safer alternative to a nuclear power plant.
: The demand for electricity has been growing at 7.0 per cent since 1990, but supply has not matched with that.
Electricity production is below 4000 megawatts a day while demand tops 6000 mw, leaving a gap of 2000 megawatts.
Lower investment in the power sector over the years is blamed for the frequent electricity blackouts, which the World Bank says costs the nation of 2.0 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). About 53 per cent of the country's population is not connected to the national grid. State Minister for Power and Energy Mohammad Enamul Haque recently said the government has fixed a target to generate 10 per cent of total electricity from renewable energy by 2020.
The state minister said the government has been working to increase electricity production by utilising all possible sources. He urged the researchers to find out more ways to utilise the potential of all renewable energies.