This project aims to produce affordable and clean energy using pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) process. Also known as blue energy, PRO generates energy from the salinity gradient between two water sources. A semipermeable membrane is used to separate concentrated saline (sea) water and diluted freshwater. To be economically feasible, the power density of the membrane is required to be at least 4 W/square meters, which has not been achieved to date. This project proposes a new biologically-inspired membrane derived from mangrove roots (called ‘MangBrine') for PRO to produce blue energy (EcoBLUE). The proposed MangBrine will be systematically evaluated and the environmental, safety and health, and economic impacts of the proposed EcoBLUE will be evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment method prior to up-scaling efforts. This research is expected to contribute towards realizing clean and cost-effective blue energy generation, in line with Goal 7 of the sustainable development goals.

2024

2028