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Would that be economical? Places with abundant geothermal power like Iceland are probably going to make much cheaper aluminum smelting than anywhere else.
by WhompingWindows 5y ago
Would that be economical? Places with abundant geothermal power like Iceland are probably going to make much cheaper aluminum smelting than anywhere else.
- aaron695 5y agoIceland's power is hydro. (It's only ~26% geothermal) The Aluminum smelting is done on hydro not geothermal. Iceland is small compared to the USA or Indonesia for geothermal power. Large per capita, but Mexico has more geothermal power. https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/the-top-10-geothermal-countries-2018-based-on-installed-generation-capacity-mwe/ https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/the-top-10-geothermal-countri... (Iceland also has geothermal heating for housing which works well)
- s0rce 5y agoUsually its done with standard hydropower not geothermal, lots of aluminum smelting in Quebec. China produces like 10x more than the next highest producing country.
- diarrhea 5y agoNot all thermal energy is created equal. The temperature level plays a huge role, and I imagine geothermal is on the low end. Suitable for household heating and the like, but not for smelting metal. From hydro, you generate electricity, and that can be converted to thermal energy on very high temperature levels.