Norway has proven itself to be a consistent player in the development of green fuel technologies and has once again taken the spotlight with its latest green technology innovation, the Tofte Osmotic Power Plant. The Tofte Osmotic Power Plant which utilizes a process that extracts the chemical energy which is produced by a groundbreaking osmosis procedure when salt and freshwater collides. Initial testing showed that the Osmotic Power Plant was capable of producing ten kilowatts of energy continually, although it has been speculated that with continued refinement the Osmotic Power Plant will be capable of producing a continual twenty five megawatts of energy.

Osmosis has generally been used in the purification of water by establishing a membrane which blocks unwanted particles within the water. Researchers in Norway have however, reversed the osmosis process by using the membrane to drag in fresh water so that it combines with salt water. The pressure of the reverse osmosis procedure was found to generate significant energy and research then focused on delivery of sufficient energy to engage electricity turbines. By drawing the energy into a pressure exchanger researchers uncovered that the salt water flow diverted by the membrane into the fresh water output there was sufficient energy to drive electricity turbines. During the design of the osmotic power plant it was found that without the pressure exchanger there was insufficient energy to drive electrical turbines. The developments by researchers from Norway have shown that in locations where freshwater meets saltwater there is an alternative and sustainable energy source available to the community.

The osmosis power plant system has raised interest throughout many coastal cities throughout the world as the system provides an energy efficient process which has also proven itself to be sustainable and cost effective. The actual process developed by the research team was not initially intended to relate to renewable energy as they were engaged in developing water purification treatments. However, researchers quickly realized that the osmosis process had the ability to be applied within the energy field and diverted their attention to working on the energy potential of osmosis. With the Tofte Osmotic Power Plant showing its ongoing energy performance in Norway this green technology has proven itself to be one of the major players in the reduction of carbon emissions produced by energy industries. Further research is currently being undertaken to identify other green technologies which can be produced through osmosis and it is expected there will be further groundbreaking discoveries in the near future.