Sweetch Energy and Rockwell Automation Collaborate on Osmotic Power Generation
Overview: French renewables startup Sweetch Energy has partnered with Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) to scale its innovative osmotic power generation technology. This collaboration aims to leverage Rockwell's global presence and expertise in process control to optimize Sweetch Energy's unique zero-carbon electricity generation technology.
Technology and Benefits:
- Sweetch Energy's INOD® (Ionic Nano Osmotic Diffusion) technology utilizes the natural difference in salinity between freshwater and seawater.
- This technology marks the first industrial-scale implementation of osmotic energy generation.
- It promises up to 500 MW of carbon-free electricity, sufficient to power over 1.5 million people, without dependency on weather conditions.
Environmental Impact:
- Manufactured from bio-sourced materials, the osmotic generators have minimal environmental footprint.
- The process uses only water as input and returns it fully to the river mouth, generating no chemical waste or pollutants.
Deployment Strategy:
- Sweetch Energy plans to deploy osmotic stations at estuaries and deltas worldwide.
- The first demonstrator plant will be located at the Barcarin lock in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, France.
- The technology is scalable and can be installed modularly, offering flexibility for installations of various sizes globally.
Automation and Scalability:
- Rockwell's turnkey process control platform and visualization technology will automate, control, and monitor Sweetch Energy's osmotic power generation system.
- This partnership ensures optimized process efficiency and power generation.