Reverse Electrodialysis Alternative Power Production

Duration: 2010 – 2014 ● Client: European Commission (FP7) ● WIP Expertise: Coordination, Research and Innovation ● www.reapower.eu

REAPower deals with an innovative concept based on the reverse electrodialysis technology. This technology consists of the extraction of the “osmotic energy” from two salt solutions showing a large difference in salt concentration, what is called salinity gradient power (SGP).

Up to now, SGP research focused mainly on the combination of fresh water as the low concentration solution and seawater as the high concentration solution. However this approach has important limitations as the low salinity water increases the electrical resistance.

The objective of REAPower is to prove the concept of electricity production through SGP-RE using brine and sea or brackish water and to develop the necessary materials, components and processes.

The consortium will work on the optimising materials and components tailored to the requirements of the SGP-RE technology operating with high salinity brine and seawater, verify the model through tests on laboratory stacks, evaluate and improve the performance of the overall system through tests on a prototype fed with real brine from a salt pond, analyse the economics, assess the perspectives of the technology and define the next R&D activities that are needed aiming at an eventual commercialisation.