• RedditWanderer@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    The issue is that even at scale, they won’t be able to undercut the traditional ways other companies already acquire these materials. The energy is just that costly. So in a way it is the cost of energy that is prohibiting capitalism to save us, but that’s not the underlying problem if we knew what to do with the brine cheaply.

    I did not opt for the “chemical process” per se, concentrating the salt itself causes chemical reactions and compounds that are difficult to manage, without us adding any to the mix.

    They also often add some chemicals for stabilizing the brine to make it more manageable until disposal that would be difficult to circumvent

    • qyron@sopuli.xyz
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      10 months ago

      Not doubting your word, something doesn’t add up.

      There are hotels in my country that already buy and install dessalination plants, in order to save costs, to fill pools and fountains and even irrigate gardens.

      These instalations have steep requirements to be installed and the off products can’t be dangerous for return to environment, as the return often goes directly to the sea, through beaches.

      Concentrating the salt is also another intelectual itch for me. We naturally concentrate salt by evaporation. There are a few programs aimed at developing low energy/high efficiency processes to obtain salt from sea water. The few I was described involved using systems built around the pressure cooker working principle or purpose built enclosed systems alike to greenhouses to force the water out. I’d risk the processes would be useful to make use of the brines.