Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SaltPower (Competitive and CO2 Free Energy from Osmotic Power – Large Scale Deployment)
Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2023-04-30
The SaltPower OPUs are delivered in modules for non-fluctuating baseload power for own consumption or the power grid.
Presently SaltPower has built a commercial approximately 100 kW modularized unit as a direct result of this EIC project. The overall objective is to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and cost of the system with the ultimate aim to lower the levelized cost of energy and to become a competitive energy technology. The commercial plant is operated at a saltproduction plant in Mariager Denmark, where it makes energy while mining salt.
Hydrogen storage in salt caverns underground is essential for storing green electricty. SaltPower Osmotic Power units can be used to generate energy while excavating salt caverns to be used hydrogen storage, thereby reducing cost and environmental impact. We are currently scaling the technology up up 1 MW modules.
Development of the technology has been continuing the last year with focus on optimizing power output and using water streams of lower quality. We have made 5 patent application and several innovations has been the outcome.
COVID 19 has made it difficult to do test and development at our existing 20 kW units due to placement at a commercial production site. Instead, we have focused on revamping a large test unit at our headquarter to be able to perform full scale optimization and operate it 24/7. This has been done to keep momentum in the technical development for the 100 kW unit during COVID 19. We have found stable long term operation of the system that has been transferred to the full scale plant.
We have secured a site for the first commercial/pre-commercial modular 100 kW unit at Nobian, Dansk Salt A/S in Mariager Denmark. We have optimized the process for this application (patent pending). Together with our membrane partner Toyobo, a new modified membrane has been optimized for this application and an optimized turbine setup will be supplied by Danfoss based on our design.
SaltPower Osmotic Power Units can be used for building seasonal storage for hydrogen in salt diapers. Instead of using energy to excavate cavern for hydrogen storage, SaltPower can generate electricity with osmotic power. Therefore, SaltPower is part of the solution for industrializing and lowering cost of building an European hydrogen economy.