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Iceland developed a aluminium-smelting industry to make use of the country’s plentiful (cheap) geothermal energy supply.
by qubex 6y ago
Iceland developed a aluminium-smelting industry to make use of the country’s plentiful (cheap) geothermal energy supply.
- Robotbeat 6y agoExcept that aluminum smelting requires near constant power levels or the smelting pots will freeze and need to be replaced. So it's not really relevant here.
- agumonkey 6y agoI was just on this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ss_wHCS1Aw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ss_wHCS1Aw
- hrafn 6y agoThe smelteries use hydropower, and the power wasn't just laying around, each smeltery requires building a massive dedicated hydropower plant.
- floatrock 6y agoFun fact: this is why the US aerospace industry grew up in the pacific northwest. At the beginning of the 20th century we went on a bit of a dam building spree up there (and all over, but heavily up there). Then when WWII broke out and we got a huge demand for airplanes (which require light aluminum), the industry congregated around where there was an excess of cheap hydro. Hence Boeing, Lockheed, and friends all being out of Seattle.