Forthcoming Opportunities for Obtaining Energy from New Renewable Sources in Romania

Abstract

AbstractOne of the renewable resources of strategic energy, currently untapped, can be obtained through capturing energy from the natural tendency to cancel the salinity gradients between salt water and fresh water, the so-called “Blue Energy”. From this point of view, Romania presents a potential and untapped major energy resource based on the salinity gradient, having as promoter the discharge of the Danube River into the Black Sea. Globally, research is being conducted at both the laboratory and micropilot levels for certain types of approaches for the techniques used in obtaining energy from the salinity gradient. In this paper are briefly presented several conceptual principles with the applicative technological potential that seeks to capitalize on the energy of the salinity gradient. At the same time, both the performances and the limitations of these techniques are highlighted. Among the phenomena that may be used to capitalize the energy from the salinity gradient following processes are mentioned: ionic and capacitive exchange, osmotic direct mixing, absorption–desorption, based on the difference in vapor pressure. Blue energy may be an important forthcoming opportunity of renewable energy for global electricity demand.KeywordsEnergyRenewable sourcesRomania