3 ms·
For comparison, electricity was sold to the U.S. grid at about $48/MWh in 2023. This is less than any of the cost projections mentioned in the article. Howabou
by beefman 3y ago
For comparison, electricity was sold to the U.S. grid at about $48/MWh in 2023. This is less than any of the cost projections mentioned in the article.
Howabout materials? It says this weighs 28 tons and makes 1.2 MW. That's 21g/W assuming a 100% capacity factor, no balance of plant, and assuming those are short tons. Compare to an iPhone 15, which consumes about 1W per 150g in use. That's a materials intensity multiple (EROI estimate) of ~ 7. An average automobile on an average commute dissipates about 67kW, or 27g/W for a multiple of ~ 1.
- rsynnott 3y agoThat would benefit from various subsidies; from the article it _looks_ like the $54/MWh projected figure is before subsidy.
- beefman 3y agoSubsidies would be useful in getting it from $108/MWh to $54/MWh faster, but they don't change the underlying physics of the technology.
- rsynnott 3y agoSorry, what I mean is that the $48/MWh figure benefits from significant subsidy; it's not a realistic cost of provision.
- beefman 3y agoPerhaps surprisingly, it is a realistic cost and could be much lower if the electricity market were efficient (as opposed to being an amalgam of regional monopolies with essentially no price incentives).