4 ms·

How would you go about it? Lots of high-voltage lines, or is there something else that'd make more sense for this unusual setup?

nine_k 8y ago
I suppose that a lot of such transmission lines should be superconductive, if only to help put enough electricity through physically more narrow channels. Even with modern high-temp superconductors, it's a lot of expensive infrastructure, a lot of protective redundancy, and a lot of maintenance.
- TeMPOraL 8y ago
  > Even with modern high-temp superconductors, it's a lot of expensive infrastructure, a lot of protective redundancy, and a lot of maintenance. Which means lots of local jobs, which may not turn out so bad in the short term.
state_less 8y ago
Distributed generation seems like it would make sense (with current tech). Italy and Spain could help here. Maybe you could go from Tunisia to Europe, but supplying African countries seems more attainable. It'd be nice if you could turn the energy into a gas like methane, pull CO2 out of the atmosphere in the process. Good for the atmosphere and you could transport gas over long distances. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-to-gas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-to-gas
- pmwhite 8y ago
  I wonder if hydrogen is practical to transport in large quantities. My guess is no. Your idea of methane, if it could be done efficiently, seems more likely.
  - peterashford 8y ago
    I saw that very recently an Australian company had worked out a way of transporting hydrogen in large quantities by converting it into something else which I conveniently can't remember.
    - spangry 8y ago
      It was the CSIRO converting hydrogen to ammonia for transport, and then back to hydrogen again: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-08/hydrogen-fuel-breakthrough-csiro-game-changer-export-potential/10082514 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-08/hydrogen-fuel-breakthr...
  - rapnie 8y ago
    Ammonia might be a better way. Easy to produce, store and transport and contains higher hydrogen density than compressed hydrogen (I think). http://www.ammoniaenergy.org/ http://www.ammoniaenergy.org/
    - samatman 8y ago
      The biosphere can't handle ammonia accidents at anything resembling the scale of crude oil and natural gas accidents. Methane is the better choice.
xyzzyz 8y ago
Standard 800 kV DC line from Algeria to Berlin (2400 km) would incur less than 10% transmission loss.
- DoctorOetker 8y ago
  What's the maximum current carrying capability for this standard 800 kV DC line?
  - tim333 8y ago
    Not sure for a standard line but the record is "1100 kV voltage, a 3,000 km (1,900 mi) length and 12 GW of power". So presumably 11,000 amps or so for that one. I guess you can have as much current as you want by making the cable thicker. Being built in China here approx https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Guquan,+Putuo,+Zhoushan,+China/Changji,+Xinjiang,+China/@35.5671375,86.7761415,4z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x35acc82a82491295:0x23206530d23f54c4!2m2!1d122.717989!2d30.171597!1m5!1m1!1s0x3808bc263d8d6ebb:0xd1e6114bc906d7d2!2m2!1d87.308224!2d44.011182!3e0 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Guquan,+Putuo,+Zhoushan,+C... It's quite an impressive looking thing (vid) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2KfrP_R3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2KfrP_R3s
    - DoctorOetker 8y ago
      so transporting 1 TW would be a hundred of those in parallel
      - tim333 8y ago
        I guess something like that. Probably beefier pylons and more cable on them.
        DoctorOetker 8y ago
        could submarine power cables in the Medeterranian sea be thinner since the water keeps the cable cool?

nine_k 8y ago

I suppose that a lot of such transmission lines should be superconductive, if only to help put enough electricity through physically more narrow channels. Even with modern high-temp superconductors, it's a lot of expensive infrastructure, a lot of protective redundancy, and a lot of maintenance.

TeMPOraL 8y ago
> Even with modern high-temp superconductors, it's a lot of expensive infrastructure, a lot of protective redundancy, and a lot of maintenance. Which means lots of local jobs, which may not turn out so bad in the short term.

state_less 8y ago

Distributed generation seems like it would make sense (with current tech). Italy and Spain could help here. Maybe you could go from Tunisia to Europe, but supplying African countries seems more attainable. It'd be nice if you could turn the energy into a gas like methane, pull CO2 out of the atmosphere in the process. Good for the atmosphere and you could transport gas over long distances. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-to-gas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power-to-gas

pmwhite 8y ago
I wonder if hydrogen is practical to transport in large quantities. My guess is no. Your idea of methane, if it could be done efficiently, seems more likely.
- peterashford 8y ago
  I saw that very recently an Australian company had worked out a way of transporting hydrogen in large quantities by converting it into something else which I conveniently can't remember.
  - spangry 8y ago
    It was the CSIRO converting hydrogen to ammonia for transport, and then back to hydrogen again: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-08/hydrogen-fuel-breakthrough-csiro-game-changer-export-potential/10082514 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-08/hydrogen-fuel-breakthr...
- rapnie 8y ago
  Ammonia might be a better way. Easy to produce, store and transport and contains higher hydrogen density than compressed hydrogen (I think). http://www.ammoniaenergy.org/ http://www.ammoniaenergy.org/
  - samatman 8y ago
    The biosphere can't handle ammonia accidents at anything resembling the scale of crude oil and natural gas accidents. Methane is the better choice.

xyzzyz 8y ago

Standard 800 kV DC line from Algeria to Berlin (2400 km) would incur less than 10% transmission loss.

DoctorOetker 8y ago
What's the maximum current carrying capability for this standard 800 kV DC line?
- tim333 8y ago
  Not sure for a standard line but the record is "1100 kV voltage, a 3,000 km (1,900 mi) length and 12 GW of power". So presumably 11,000 amps or so for that one. I guess you can have as much current as you want by making the cable thicker. Being built in China here approx https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Guquan,+Putuo,+Zhoushan,+China/Changji,+Xinjiang,+China/@35.5671375,86.7761415,4z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x35acc82a82491295:0x23206530d23f54c4!2m2!1d122.717989!2d30.171597!1m5!1m1!1s0x3808bc263d8d6ebb:0xd1e6114bc906d7d2!2m2!1d87.308224!2d44.011182!3e0 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Guquan,+Putuo,+Zhoushan,+C... It's quite an impressive looking thing (vid) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2KfrP_R3s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2KfrP_R3s
  - DoctorOetker 8y ago
    so transporting 1 TW would be a hundred of those in parallel
    - tim333 8y ago
      I guess something like that. Probably beefier pylons and more cable on them.
      - DoctorOetker 8y ago
        could submarine power cables in the Medeterranian sea be thinner since the water keeps the cable cool?