Green energy storage

[d000hg]

If only somebody had forseen that.

If we could manage a world energy grid or cross-continent power-lines, then this isn't a problem... the sunny parts of the world receive incredible amounts of stable sunlight and are typically uninhabited.

Giant water-splitting plants on the edges of deserts bounding oceans with gas pipelines seem plausible to me, but at massive cost. And they would need to be build at huge scale to make the infrastructure worthwhile.

[doodab]

I'm beginning to agree that with the assessment of KPMG that in 50 years, Britain will be the dominant power in Europe. It'll simply be because Germany throws away its advantage.

We have a bit of a track record at that ourselves.

[Paddy]

If we could manage a world energy grid or cross-continent power-lines, then this isn't a problem... the sunny parts of the world receive incredible amounts of stable sunlight and are typically uninhabited.

Giant water-splitting plants on the edges of deserts bounding oceans with gas pipelines seem plausible to me, but at massive cost. And they would need to be build at huge scale to make the infrastructure worthwhile.

The Sahara desert is massive, I have often wondered why is not used for sewage disposal via pipeline. Eventually parts of the desert would become fertile.

[d000hg]

What a tulip idea.

[doodab]

Giant water-splitting plants on the edges of deserts bounding oceans with gas pipelines seem plausible to me, but at massive cost. And they would need to be build at huge scale to make the infrastructure worthwhile.

Massive cost is relative. Oil exploration isn't cheap and the existing oil extraction, distillation and distribution infrastructure wasn't exactly cheap either.

I think the main issue is political, the people with the money and expertise don't want to entrust their energy security and billions of dollars worth of infrastructure to the North Africans. I can see one of the richer Arab nations taking this on though. A combined desalination, carbon capture and gas production facility would be a serious asset.