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Soda Can Hydrogen Generator for Alternative Energy

Step 8Icelandic Aluminum Batteries

Icelandic Aluminum Batteries
Dr. Pieter van Pelt proposes charging Aluminum batteries from cheap green energy produced in Iceland. Then the batteries are shipped to any location in the world and discharged in a power grid. The empty batteries go back to Iceland for recharging. Here's the logic:

Aluminum batteries "are being developed by Europositron in Finland. They claim the following specifications for their technology:

Energy density : 2100 W.h/litre or 1330 W.h/kgr

Cycle times : 3000+ cycles

Working temperatures : -40 C to +70 C

Lifetime battery : 10 to 30 years

Let's assume, we equip a large ship with 200 giant batteries, each the size of a 40 foot shipping container. Each battery will weigh about 220 tons, so a 50,000 BRT ship can carry these. The batteries are charged fully in Iceland, making use of cheap electricity from hydropower or geothermal power. The 200 batteries will contain about 50 GW.h electricity when fully loaded. The ship (electrically powered of course) sails to the west coast of Denmark or England, or to the East coast of the USA. There it delivers its electrical charge into the national grid, but it keeps some batteries charged for the return trip to Iceland. It sails back and charges again. It can do so 3000 times before the batteries are worn out and must be replaced. A simple calculation shows that the electricity can be delivered at the end market for a very low price, roughly 20 to 25 Euro per MW.h (substantially below residential rates of 45 to 50 Euro per MW.h). The trick is, of course, that large quantities of hydropower or geothermal power in Iceland are very cheap (roughly 12 to 15 Euro per MW.h), that transportation of bulk goods over sea is very cheap (hence the economy of processing bauxite ore from New Zealand in Iceland to make Aluminum ingots), and the large investment in Al-batteries has an extended lifetime (3000 or more cycles). "

http://www.batteriesdigest.com/batteries_aluminum.htm

http://www.europositron.com/en/info.html
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12 comments
Mar 6, 2009. 8:05 AMTheGoodLife says:
Wouldn't it be cheaper to sail the ship once. During the journey, the ship lays a grid interconnector to the US or UK. Iceland can then distribute its excess power at a lower cost than shipping it.
Aug 31, 2010. 8:37 AMwilecoyote22 says:
you have your numbers backwards. 80% of the power would reach the UK/US while 20% (approximate) would be lost to natural resistance in the cable. All of this means nothing though. We are forgeting that charging the batteries will be wasteful as well. No battery has zero resistance. If electric rates are really so cheap then why not just lay a superconducting cable like are used in the US for extreme distance? Sure they are expensive but nothing compared to building and operating a ship at sea. Besides, cables don't sink or crash
Sep 8, 2010. 7:31 AMwilecoyote22 says:
Ok I admit that I dont "Know" of a superconductive power cable in commercial use exactly. I am assuming since they were doing demonstrations as early as 2007 over several hundred miles that they probably are being used commercially today. http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/05/next_generation.html
Jan 14, 2008. 6:06 PMkillerjackalope says:
That and if the boat is electrically propelled then it' almost all green and free too.
Jan 15, 2008. 6:13 AMkillerjackalope says:
That makes the Idea very feasible, there's initial cost then simple moneymaking after that...
Jan 15, 2008. 9:39 AMkillerjackalope says:
well you see what i mean, beside accidents would be minimal and the 50 gigawatt batteries would be hard to short, but i daresay it would be difficult to do the charging on a boat...
May 6, 2008. 6:05 AMlolochaust says:
hard to short? what are you talking about? submerge a battery in sea water and see what happens.
May 6, 2008. 3:21 PMkillerjackalope says:
I meant through accidents on the boat, if it sinks they're scuppered...

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