Japan has launched its first osmotic power plant in the southwestern city of Fukuoka, marking only the second facility of its kind worldwide, as reported by The Guardian.
The plant harnesses the process of osmosis, where water naturally flows across a semipermeable membrane from fresh water to salt water. This movement generates pressure that drives a turbine, producing electricity.
The Fukuoka plant is expected to generate about 880,000 kilowatt hours of power annually — enough to supply a local desalination facility and meet the needs of around 220 households. Unlike solar or wind energy, osmotic power can run 24 hours a day, as it depends only on the mixing of fresh and salt water.
The world’s first commercial osmotic plant opened in Denmark in 2023, and pilot projects have been tested in Norway, South Korea, Spain and Qatar. Experts say advances in membrane and pump technology are making the process more efficient.
Researchers highlight that Japan’s facility uses concentrated seawater brine from a desalination plant, increasing efficiency by maximizing the difference in salt concentration.
While challenges remain in scaling up the technology, scientists view Fukuoka’s project as a major step toward diversifying renewable energy sources and providing a steady supply of clean power.
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the Uzatom Agency with a Kazakh delegation led by Zhomart Aliev, Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, to discuss the next stage of cooperation in the nuclear field.
