Nuclear is back on the table for a green future

Re:Nuclear is back on the table for a green future by BenoitP on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @12:17PM (#31755260)

I'm assuming currently proven tech of batteries. And we need to act now for climate change, with current tech.

Electricity to H2 to electricity has horrendous efficiency (about 20% at most IIRC). We'd be much better off CO2-speaking using it to replace coal in steel production, and replace gas in fertilizer production. Both of which are proven tech (but not globally deployed, as coal and gas are cheap)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Nuclear is back on the table for a green future by Sinidir on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @05:08PM (#31759507)

Where are you getting that 20% number from?

https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/round-trip-...

The round trip efficiency is 30% or more and rising with better electrolysis and reverse electrolysis being developed.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Nuclear is back on the table for a green future by pfdietz on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @01:04PM (#31755949)

Power2Gas2Power has low round trip efficiency (say 40%), but as only a fairly small fraction of the energy flow goes through it that doesn't matter that much at the end of the day. If it did, that just means heavy industries would migrate to less seasonally variable places.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Nuclear is back on the table for a green future by ncmncm on Wednesday June 15, 2022 @01:10PM (#31756048)

Inefficiency just requires extra capex, not opex. And the capex is capex is still falling at an exponential rate. So, no.

[ Parent | on HN ]