Seaweed Utilized to Make Batteries
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Hello,
I am excited to be part of this forum. I would like to introduce the possibility of utilizing seaweed as an element in battery power storage. Has anyone else thought of this idea?
Here are some examples of the potential for seaweed to be an integral element in batteries:
An ion battery needs seaweed cellulose fibers;
https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/seaweed-nanomaterials-boost-sodium-battery-performance
A lithium sulfur battery needs carrageenan from seaweed;
https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2017/06/13/seaweed-derivative-just-lithium-sulfur-batteries-need/
Ultra sound increases carrageenan yields 41%
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317336574_Ultrasonic-Assisted_Extraction_of_Carrageenan
My vision is to find a group of international entrepreneurs to build a project in the southern Mediterranean for this economic opportunity. Can we organize a group of international members of the seaweed farming circle to collect enough pioneers for this mission? The paradox behind renewable energy is a decentralization of energy. Is it possible to recruit 20,000 people with a $5,000 buy in? Using this financing model would create a $100M budget. That would include a solar array producing 250 tons of hydrogen a day for just $500 in solar cost. The umbrella assets of battery manufacturing and hydrogen production could be produced on site. We could partner with the battery companies and sell our products to the thousands of yachts that are seeking to switch over to hydrogen power in the Mediterranean.
https://www.superyachtsmonaco.com/news/hydrogen-powered-engines-the-future-of-yachting
I truly believe this ground breaking innovative use of seaweed is the best project we could imagine creating. Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, France, Monaco or Italy would welcome us and assist in creating this infrastructure for the future of humanity.
@mark_berns Mark, I like the idea of exploring the potential role of seaweed in battery formulations. Those developments at University of Bristol and at the Berkeley Lab deserve watching and hopefully products will emerge creating useful demand for seaweed. There is no question that energy storage is key to an effective rollout of renewables such as wind turbines and PV solar. That said, I don’t see those early-stage technologies deserving $100M to support through a fresh initiative.
On the second idea you mentioned, there is little justification for taking scarce renewable power and squandering it on the production of hydrogen. The losses associated with hydrogen electrolysis are bad enough, but those associated with its storage, transport, and re-conversion into useful electricity simply renders the whole idea silly. There are legitimate uses for hydrogen in the making of steel and fertilizers, but its use in heating or as a transport fuel do not pass muster.
What we are currently seeing is hydrogen’s emergence as a handy green-washing tool. Given that 97% of hydrogen produced today is reformed from methane, the natural gas sector is overjoyed. Unfortunately, such processes bring us all the unpleasant emissions associated with the burning of natural gas directly.
I think that if you look into this more deeply you will see that battery development may be a promising play for those of us seeking enhanced seaweed markets, while hydrogen is an undisputed dead end.
@clifford_goudey - I agree that currently hydrogen doesn't look very efficient to say the least ... however is never a good idea to shut anything down completely ! On our island for example - and thousands of others around the world ... loads and loads of over capacity for really rather cheap renewables fro the ocean and wind ... but connection to the main grid is horrendously expensive if not almost impossible ... use of hydrogen as a form of storage to be then redeployed in hydrogen fuel cells to power seaweed harvesting boats seems like a pretty good idea to me when coupled with clever storage say salt water batteries ? what are your thoughts?
David Mackman wrote, "use of hydrogen as a form of storage to be then redeployed in hydrogen fuel cells to power seaweed harvesting boats seems like a pretty good idea to me when coupled with clever storage say salt water batteries. what are your thoughts?"
I repeat, it's a bad idea. Not only is the round-trip energy conversion efficiency of such a scheme abysmal (~30%), the cost and volume requirements are simply nuts. Hydrogen itself is very light, even when compressed or liquefied, but the the containment is both voluminous and heavy. You'd be much better off with a battery-electric vessel for seaweed harvesting.
Regarding more general energy storage on your island, the best options are either batteries or pumped hydro storage (PHS) with the former having ~90% round-trip efficiency and the latter having a respectable 70-80% rt efficiency. We simply do not have enough renewable power avaiable yet to have it squandered on low-efficiency storage schemes such as hydrogen.
The "Hydrogen Economy" came and went a couple decades ago but because it was recognized by the natural gas sector as a nifty path to self preservation, the idea lingers with a lot of the noise coming from the UK. I sense it the same sort of confused thinking that brought you Brexit.
Cliff
@mark_berns - hello my name is David Mackman ... sounds bonkers enough for me to get involved with! We are based in Scotland so not so sunny ... but much closer to the med than Oregon! We are fortunate enough to have an island off the west coast up here ... - rebranding it as CarbonZeroIsland .... and are looking at running everything renewably with hydrogen a big part of the mix ... also looking at turquoise hydrogen production ... email is 0@c0.com
@clifford_goudey - I agree that currently hydrogen doesn't look very efficient to say the least ... however is never a good idea to shut anything down completely ! On our island for example - and thousands of others around the world ... loads and loads of over capacity for really rather cheap renewables fro the ocean and wind ... but connection to the main grid is horrendously expensive if not almost impossible ... use of hydrogen as a form of storage to be then redeployed in hydrogen fuel cells to power seaweed harvesting boats seems like a pretty good idea to me when coupled with clever storage say salt water batteries ? what are your thoughts?
David Mackman wrote, "use of hydrogen as a form of storage to be then redeployed in hydrogen fuel cells to power seaweed harvesting boats seems like a pretty good idea to me when coupled with clever storage say salt water batteries. what are your thoughts?"
I repeat, it's a bad idea. Not only is the round-trip energy conversion efficiency of such a scheme abysmal (~30%), the cost and volume requirements are simply nuts. Hydrogen itself is very light, even when compressed or liquefied, but the the containment is both voluminous and heavy. You'd be much better off with a battery-electric vessel for seaweed harvesting.
Regarding more general energy storage on your island, the best options are either batteries or pumped hydro storage (PHS) with the former having ~90% round-trip efficiency and the latter having a respectable 70-80% rt efficiency. We simply do not have enough renewable power avaiable yet to have it squandered on low-efficiency storage schemes such as hydrogen.
The "Hydrogen Economy" came and went a couple decades ago but because it was recognized by the natural gas sector as a nifty path to self preservation, the idea lingers with a lot of the noise coming from the UK. I sense it the same sort of confused thinking that brought you Brexit.
Cliff
@mark_berns Hello mark i love the integration of seaweed and batteries. I have been working with metals and mining companies in Turkey in past 2 years for supplying battery grade eliments like copper and manganese concentrates. I have experience in communication and leasing with buisness devlopment between battery manufacturers and mining companies i believe it can be helpful in building what you envision, and would love to get involved. Feel free to contact