[4] This type of power generation is very reliable, consisting of only slightly more moving parts than a conventional hydroelectric power plant; in this case the addition of a pair of small pumps to move the fresh and salt water to the membrane surfaces.

The availability of spare parts and upgrade components is also good, meaning that an installed osmotic power plant could be run for many years cost-effectively.

By comparison, an open cycle gas turbine a fraction of the size (such as the Rolls-Royce or GE aero-derivative gas turbines) could easily produce greater than 15MW for a fraction of the installation costs, although fuel and maintenance costs would be greater.

Comparing the ideal power output of this plant to the rough average household consumption of a modern home detailed in the article domestic energy consumption, it can be seen that this is a very limited technology - working back the figures, it equates that the average home requires 2 kW of power.

Bear in mind however that advances in materials technology will likely greatly increase the power output per plant volume over time and thus make this a more useful form of power generation, particularly in remote locations where reliability is key and spare parts are difficult to come by (e.g. difficult-to-access coastal locations with a small stream or river nearby that can provide the fresh water required).