Pressure-Retarded Osmosis for Water and Energy Sustainability

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is a novel process for generating energy utilizing forward osmosis. Forward osmosis is achieved through the salinity differences between fresh (river) water and seawater. Pilot test data is presented on a PRO system. Efficiency and footprint of PRO is compared to other renewable energy sources. Challenegs for commercialization of the technology are also discussed.