Re:Nuclear fusion: it's time for a reality check
by kragen on Wednesday January 29, 2025 @09:27AM
(#42865249)
Right! Long-distance aviation seems like an obvious application, though companies like Joby might take over the short-distance market with battery-powered airplanes.
Presumably most of the cost of synfuel has been in the energy inputs, right? And solar will drive the cost of intermittent energy down by at least an order of magnitude and possibly two.
As Handmer's post says:
> (...) up until this point no-one has considered scaling these up as a fundamental source of hydrocarbons, because doing so would be cost prohibitive. Why? The machinery is not particularly complex, but the energy demands are astronomical.
Presumably most of the cost of synfuel has been in the energy inputs, right? And solar will drive the cost of intermittent energy down by at least an order of magnitude and possibly two.
As Handmer's post says:
> (...) up until this point no-one has considered scaling these up as a fundamental source of hydrocarbons, because doing so would be cost prohibitive. Why? The machinery is not particularly complex, but the energy demands are astronomical.