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1. African Challenge Between Saving the World and Defeating Hunger

Based on international Monetary Fund(IMF), World bank and CIA World Factbook Africa is the last

continent with GDP of 2,190 Billion USD $, 1,594.8 Billion USD $ and 1,638.4 Billion USD $ respectively

and with per capital of 1,809 USD $, 1560 USD $ and 1,603 USD $ respectively ( Wikimedia Foundation,

Inc., 2017).

Based on Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO) the progress continues in the

fight against hunger and yet an unacceptably large number of people still lack the food they need for an active

and healthy life and from all the continent Africa is the largest hunger percent located with 20% of its

population (FAO, IFAD and WFP, 2015).

In the other hand according to the Climate Risk Index, less developed continent typically Africa are

generally more affected than industrialized continent (Sönke Kreft, 2017). Source: (Sönke Kreft, 2017)

Figure 1 Climate Risk Index Map

Thus, and more Africa is in the challenge of its pick between saving our continent & world form the sever

climate change that lead to more famine and hunger with the other side of increasing the per capita of the

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population using any means of the play book of industrialization. Thus, finding a middle ground in sustainable

energy source is question of survival.

2. Monograph Objectives

During the end of this monograph we would like to identify the potential of salinity-gradient energy in solving

the challenge of African between saving the world and defeating hunger by being renewable & sustainable

energy source for Africans. This includes: -

 Identifying African Countries with potential for Salinity gradient energy production

 Calculate the theoretical electricity produced by potential countries

3. Introduction About Salinity Gradient Energy

The aim of Salinity-gradient energy source is entropy change of mixing of fresh water and sea water (Cordis

Community Research and Development Information Service, 2017). Salinity Gradient Power is the highest

energy concentration of all marine renewable energy sources (Wader, LLC, 2017). The osmotic pressure

difference between fresh water and seawater is equivalent to 240 m of hydraulic head. In theory, a stream

flowing at 1 m3/s could produce 1 MW of electricity. The worldwide fresh to seawater salinity resource is

estimated at 2.6 TW (Wader, LLC, 2017).

Salinity-gradient energy or Blue Energy Estimates from literature predicted coverage of over 80% of the

current global electricity demand when applied in all river mouths. From thermodynamic calculations it can

be derived that each m3 of river water can yield 1.4 MJ when mixed with the same amount of sea water (Post,

2009). The potential resource for the osmotic pairing of fresh water and seawater is estimated at 2.6 TW

(Wader, LLC, 2017).

Two techniques are available to convert Blue Energy into electricity: pressure retarded osmosis and reverse

electrodialysis (Post, 2009). The power available in salinity gradients will be exploited, but not without

substantial investment (Wader, LLC, 2017).

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4. African Potential for Salinity-Gradient Energy

Based on the introduction we understand that the salinity gradient energy is produced by cultivate the energy

during the mixing up of fresh water and sea water. And based on salinity world map Africa is surrounded by

the concentrated salt ocean of Atlantic, Indian and Mediterranean-Sea.

Source: (The University of Waikato, 2017)

Figure 2 Salinity of Ocean Map

In the same manner Africa has 5 biggest source of huge fresh water that flows from the main land to the ocean

and sea. Source: (Socratic, 2017)

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Figure 3 Five Biggest African River Flow Map

Table 1 River with average Discharge

Name of River Average Discharge (m3/s)

Nile River 2,830

Niger River 5,589

Zaire River 41,200

Zambezi River 7,070

Orange River 365

Source: ( Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 2017)

From Figure 3 we understand that form Africa Egypt, Congo, Nigeria, South Africa & Zimbabwe are the

outlet that has the merge between the fresh water & ocean water with potential of establishing the renewable

and powerful salinity gradient power plant.

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5. African Energy Source

The World Bank has declared 32 of the 48 nations on the continent to be in an energy crisis since the demand

and the supply don’t much (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2017) .

Source: (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2017)

Figure 4 African energy Source Map

To connect the dots, we focus on the Five Countries Egypt, Congo, Nigeria, South Africa & Zimbabwe with

the potential of Salinity gradient energy potential and understand their energy source to determine the value

of this potential.

Table 2 Salinity Gradient Potential African Country Energy Source

List Electricity Non-Renewable Renewable % of Population

Production Source (%) Source (%) Has Access

(KWh X 109)

Congo Dem. Rep 8.8 0.1 99.9 13.5

Egypt 171.7 99.1 0.9 99.8

Nigeria 30.4 82.4 17.6 57.7

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South Africa 249.5 93.1 6.9 86

Zimbabwe 10 44.4 55.6 32.3

Source: (The World Bank Group, 2017)

6. Calculating Theoretical Salinity Gradient Potential Electricity For 5 SGPAC

Based on the introduction of this monograph we stated that in theory, a stream flowing at 1 m3/s could produce

1 MW of electricity. Based on this we can calculate the theoretical salinity gradient as the table below.

Table 3 Theoretical Electricity for SGPAC

Name of River Theoretical Electricity (MW) Beneficiary Country

Nile River 2,830 Egypt

Niger River 5,589 Nigeria

Zaire River 41,200 Congo Dem. Rep

Zambezi River 7,070 Zimbabwe

Orange River 365 South Africa

7. Real Life Technologies & Working Principle

Various concepts were proposed more than twenty years ago. And form those list there two are major known

and implemented real life.

7.1 Pressure-Retarded Osmosis (PRO)

Sidney Loeb was the first to recognize Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) as a source of energy. In PRO,

seawater or salt based ocean water is pumped into a pressure chamber where the pressure is less than the

osmotic pressure difference between fresh water (or low salinity water) and seawater (or higher salinity water)

(Wader, LLC, 2017).

Source: (Cordis Community Research and Development Information Service, 2017)

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Figure 5 The Osmotic Power Process

Freshwater flows through a semipermeable membrane and increases the volume (or pressure) within the

chamber; a turbine is spun as the pressure is compensated. This transport of water from the low-pressure

diluted solution to the high-pressure concentrated solution results in a pressurization of the volume of

transported water. This transported water can be used to generate electrical power in a turbine (Sustainable

Development Knowledge Platform, 2017).

Example: Pressure Retarded Osmosis, Statkraft, Norway (EnergyBC, 2017)

7.2 Reversed Electrodialysis (Reverse dialysis) (RED)

Weinstein and Leitz proposed creation of a salt battery as follow an array of alternating anion and cation

exchange membranes can be used to generate electric power from the free energy of river and sea water

(Wader, LLC, 2017).

A RED system works in the following way: a number of cation and anion exchange membranes are stacked

in an alternating pattern between a cathode and an anode. The electric potential difference between the outer

compartments of the membrane stack is the sum of the potential difference over each membrane. The chemical

potential difference causes the transport of ions through the membranes from the concentrated solution to the

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diluted solution. For a Sodium chloride solution, sodium ion permeates through the cation exchange

membrane in the direction of the cathode and chloride the other way around (Post, 2009).

Example: Reverse Electro Dialysis, Westus, The Netherlands (EnergyBC, 2017)

Source: (Integrated Network for Energy from Salinity Gradient Power , 2017)

Figure 6 Reverse Electrodialysis System

8. Pricing of the Energy Cost

Energy costs are estimated at $0.058/kWh. Analysis of a hydroelectric power plant with PRO. Acceptable

energy costs of $0.13/kWh are attainable. A major Norwegian company, Statkraft, opened the first laboratory

dedicated to salt-power in 2003. They have been focusing since 1997 on pressure retarded osmosis and reverse

electrodialysis (Wader, LLC, 2017).

9. Environmental and Social Impacts

Mixing of seawater and freshwater is a natural process that occurs all over the world. An osmotic power plant

will extract the energy using this process without any significant interference with the environmental qualities

of the site. Freshwater and seawater mixed in an osmotic power plant will be returned (to the sea) as brackish

water, where they would have mixed naturally. Brackish water is the main waste product of the osmotic power

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plant but its concentrated discharge may alter the environment and result in changes for animals and plants

living in the location. The impact of produced brackish water on the local marine environment will need to be

monitored. Osmotic power will not produce any operational CO2 emissions (IPCC Intergovernmental Panel

on Climate Change, 2017).

10. Conclusion

Based on our monograph objective we achieved to identify that from all the African countries 5 of them has

the great chance to achieve this renewable energy includes Egypt, Congo Dem. Rep, South Africa, Zimbabwe

& Nigeria.

Based on the theoretical Calculation it is possible to have great benefit for Congo Dem. Rep using this

technology and in decreasing order Congo Dem. Rep, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Egypt & South Africa are the

beneficial from this renewable technology by theoretical capacity of production.

11. References

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2017, DEC 2). List of rivers by discharge. Retrieved from wikipedia.org:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_by_discharge

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2017, NOV 28). Wikipedia®. Retrieved from wikipedia.org:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_continents_by_GDP_(nominal)

Cordis Community Research and Development Information Service. (2017, NOV 13). Retrieved from

http://cordis.europa.eu/documents/documentlibrary/82766661EN6.pdf

EnergyBC. (2017, NOV 13). Retrieved from http://www.energybc.ca/cache/tidal/annex_1_doc_t0104-1.pdf

FAO, IFAD and WFP. (2015). The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015 Meeting the 2015 international

hunger targets: taking stock of uneven progress. FAO (p. 56). ROME: FAO.

Integrated Network for Energy from Salinity Gradient Power . (2017, NOV 15). Retrieved from

http://salinitygradientpower.eu/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/workshop-report.pdf

IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2017, Nov 13). Retrieved from

https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/specialreports/srren/drafts/Chapter%2006%20SOD.pdf

Post, J. W. (2009). Blue Energy: electricity production.

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Socratic. (2017, NOV 30). Socratic. Retrieved from https://socratic.org: https://socratic.org/questions/in-

history-what-altered-the-development-and-population-of-sub-saharan-africa

Sönke Kreft, D. E. (2017, Nov 9). Global Climate Risk Index 2017 . GERMANWATCH.

Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. (2017, NOV 19). Retrieved from

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5734Blue%20Energy.pdf

The University of Waikato. (2017, NOV 30). Science Learning Hub. Retrieved from Sciencelearn.org.nz:

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/766-map-of-ocean-salinity

The World Bank Group. (2017, DEC 2). World Development Indicators: Electricity production, sources, and

access. Retrieved from worldbank.org: http://wdi.worldbank.org/table/3.7

Wader, LLC. (2017, NOV 19). Retrieved from http://www.waderllc.com/2284-2287.pdf

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2017, DEC 1). Energy in Africa Wikipedia. Retrieved from wikipedia.org:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Africa

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