Re:Running the numbers on an insane scheme to save Antarctic...
by learnfromstory on Saturday July 20, 2019 @08:16PM
(#20489138)
Does 12000 windmills sound like a lot? Consider that we have 1.7 million oil wells in the USA alone.
Re:Running the numbers on an insane scheme to save Antarctic...
by NeedMoreTea on Saturday July 20, 2019 @08:53PM
(#20489275)
When you consider that's 12,000 for the least energy intensive part, just pumping the water, yes. A hell of a lot.
How many extra windmills for desalination and freezing to produce snow? How many acres or square miles of desalination plant? How to dispose of the few(!) tonnes of salt? How much of the world's shipping, construction and engineering requires commandeering, WW2 style to ensure it's a ten year not fifty year project?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdrup - unit of flow for ocean currents
145GW of power needed to raise water up 640m. Desalination not included, may be necessary. Would require 12k high-end wind turbines given local wind conditions. This is around 25% of current global wind capacity.
https://wwindea.org/information-2/information/ - "UPDATED: 4 June 2019 Wind Power Capacity Worldwide Reaches 597 GW, 50,1 GW added in 2018 China with more than 200 GW, USA close to 100 GW, Europe in decline Bonn, 25 February 2019 (WWEA) – The overall capacity of all wind turbines installed worldwide by the end of 2018 reached 597 Gigawatt"