4 ms·

Without knowing, 500kg per dwelling sounds like it would pose some supply scaling problems.

by harperlee 6y ago

sideshowb 6y ago
Most cars weigh more than that, yet here we are
- harperlee 6y ago
  Yeah and if a home has 1.x cars, and let's say that means 500ks aluminum, we're talking about doubling demand. So perhaps that has impact in price?
- w0utert 6y ago
  Most cars are mostly plastic and steel, and only a few percent aluminum, but I see your point
CaptainJustin 6y ago
With over 38M [1] households just in Germany that would come to: 19 million metric tons of Al. Each year the people of this planet mine 160 million metric tons of Bauxite [2]. Not sure how the Bauxite ore related in weight to the final product. Maybe this could be a viable option for some energy storage? [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/464187/households-by-size-germany/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/464187/households-by-siz... [2] https://www.aluminum.org/industries/production/bauxite#:~:text=More%20than%20160%20million%20metric%20tons%20of%20bauxite%20are%20mined%20each%20year https://www.aluminum.org/industries/production/bauxite#:~:te....
- harperlee 6y ago
  Thanks for the data, I think that makes my comment moot :)
- magicalhippo 6y ago
  Wikipedia says[1] global production is roughly 64 million metric tons per year. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_primary_aluminium_production https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_primary_a...
tim333 6y ago
Aluminium is the 3rd most abundant element in the earth's crust after oxygen and silicon. One of the main constraints on turning that to metal is the electrical power input which is part of the plan here.
pdabbadabba 6y ago
Yeah. The current price of aluminum is about $2.00/kg. So, at today's prices, this would cost $1000 per dwelling. That's already pretty high--but maybe not completely infeasible. But then you have to consider what will happen to this price if every household in global north starts buying another 500kg of aluminum.
- AdamN 6y ago
  [NYC street hawker] Aluminum here! Get yer aluminum here! Only one thousand bucks for high quality aluminum! [brit walks up] I'm looking for aluminium please. Do you have any? [hawker] Sorry can't help

Without knowing, 500kg per dwelling sounds like it would pose some supply scaling problems.

sideshowb 6y ago

Most cars weigh more than that, yet here we are

harperlee 6y ago
Yeah and if a home has 1.x cars, and let's say that means 500ks aluminum, we're talking about doubling demand. So perhaps that has impact in price?
w0utert 6y ago
Most cars are mostly plastic and steel, and only a few percent aluminum, but I see your point

CaptainJustin 6y ago

With over 38M [1] households just in Germany that would come to: 19 million metric tons of Al. Each year the people of this planet mine 160 million metric tons of Bauxite [2]. Not sure how the Bauxite ore related in weight to the final product. Maybe this could be a viable option for some energy storage? [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/464187/households-by-size-germany/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/464187/households-by-siz... [2] https://www.aluminum.org/industries/production/bauxite#:~:text=More%20than%20160%20million%20metric%20tons%20of%20bauxite%20are%20mined%20each%20year https://www.aluminum.org/industries/production/bauxite#:~:te....

harperlee 6y ago
Thanks for the data, I think that makes my comment moot :)
magicalhippo 6y ago
Wikipedia says[1] global production is roughly 64 million metric tons per year. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_primary_aluminium_production https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_primary_a...

tim333 6y ago

Aluminium is the 3rd most abundant element in the earth's crust after oxygen and silicon. One of the main constraints on turning that to metal is the electrical power input which is part of the plan here.

pdabbadabba 6y ago

Yeah. The current price of aluminum is about $2.00/kg. So, at today's prices, this would cost $1000 per dwelling. That's already pretty high--but maybe not completely infeasible. But then you have to consider what will happen to this price if every household in global north starts buying another 500kg of aluminum.

AdamN 6y ago
[NYC street hawker] Aluminum here! Get yer aluminum here! Only one thousand bucks for high quality aluminum! [brit walks up] I'm looking for aluminium please. Do you have any? [hawker] Sorry can't help