Overview

• The Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency says operations began on 5 August, with annual generation expected at about 880,000 kWh directed to the city’s desalination facility.
• The plant produces electricity by moving water across semipermeable membranes between treated wastewater and concentrated desalination brine, building pressure that drives a turbine.
• Reported figures put net instantaneous capacity near 110 kW and annual output roughly equivalent to the consumption of about 220 Japanese households.
• It is the world’s second operational osmotic power site after SaltPower’s 2023 installation in Mariager, Denmark, following years of pilots in Norway, South Korea, Spain, Qatar and Australia.
• Researchers highlight losses from pumping and membrane friction as key constraints, while advances such as Toyobo’s hollow‑fiber membranes and emerging INOD concepts aim to improve efficiency.