Revolutionary power plant generates ‘blue energy’: ‘Not affected by weather or time of day’

As of August 2025, Japan has established an osmotic power plant in the city of Fukuoka — the first of its kind in Asia and the second worldwide, following a similar facility established in Denmark in 2023.

Osmotic power, commonly referred to as “blue energy,” draws from the principles of osmosis, relying on the difference in salinity between two streams of water to generate electricity. At the new Fukuoka facility, when the two streams come to meet at a semipermeable membrane, the natural flow of water to even out the concentrations is used to spin a turbine, which later powers a generator, according to an Interesting Engineering report.

“The Japanese plant uses concentrated seawater, the brine left after removal of fresh water in a desalination plant, as the feed, which increases the difference in salt concentrations and thus the energy available,” explained Professor Sandra Kentish, noting how the design of osmotic power plants can complicate larger-scale energy projects.

While researchers have theorized about “blue energy” since the mid- to late twentieth century, putting osmotic power into practice has proven considerably more difficult, with the earliest plant prototypes only emerging post-pandemic.

The Fukuoka plant is projected to channel close to 900,000 kilowatt-hours annually to a local desalination facility in the interest of upping the region’s drinking water supply. The same amount of energy can power over 200 households year-round, per the Guardian.

Although relatively unexplored and scientifically complex, osmotic power has its own strengths regarding reliability, unlike solar and wind power — the more common renewable energy sources — the potential of blue energy isn’t limited by weather or light.

The Fukuoka District Waterworks Agency described osmotic power as “a next-generation renewable energy source that is not affected by weather or time of day and emits no carbon dioxide,” per Interesting Engineering.

As our conventional fuel-based power sources release more and more planet-warming carbon pollution into the atmosphere and amplify the effects of climate change on our weather and resources, establishing a diverse range of clean energy options is becoming increasingly essential. Access to more renewable sources can reduce our reliance on the grid, drive down utility costs, and help keep pollution from the energy sector to a minimum.

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