Techno-Economic Analysis towards Full-Scale Pressure Retarded Osmosis Plants

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is a power generation process that harnesses the salinity gradient between two water bodies of different salinities. Using high salinity water as a draw solution, this work assesses the techno-economic feasibility of the technology to generate electricity using single and multistage systems. This work utilizes a simulator built on the rigorous Q-Electrolattice equation of state and a mass transfer model that accounts for concentration polarization, combined with the Dakota optimization tool to perform sensitivity analysis and optimization studies. The economic indicator of interest is the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), which serves to compare PRO with other sources of renewable energy. An LCOE value of USD 0.1255/kWh was obtained from the use of commercial membranes at an efficiency of 100% for the mechanical components of the PRO system. This LCOE drops to USD 0.0704/kWh when an ideal membrane is used-thus showing the improvements to economics possible with improved membrane properties. With currently obtainable membrane properties and mechanical equipment, the LCOE of a single-stage process increases to USD 0.352/kWh, which is not cost-competitive with other renewable energy sources. Setting up multistage PRO systems towards minimizing the LCOE was found to be detrimental to the net power production by the plant.

Automated summary

This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of the pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) technology for electricity generation using the salinity gradient between two water bodies. The use of improved membranes reduces the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) to USD 0.0704/kWh, compared to USD 0.1255/kWh with commercial membranes. However, with current membrane properties and mechanical equipment, a single-stage PRO process is not cost-competitive with other renewable energy sources.