this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2026
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Desalinating water might be the best part. Usually, solar power has the downside of needing storage and desalination has the downside of big energy requirements. If you can do both at the same time, it's a big win for dry climates with lots of sun
There is also the issue with the salt by itself in desalinisation. If it's removed with water, you have to deal with that stuff. Table salt is really cheap and there is plenty of offer,, so you can't really economically clean it enough and package it for human consumption or industrial use. So what usually happens is that they dump it back at one moment or another. And that is a hard pollution, and can lead to dead zones around the desalinisation plants if not managed well enough. Being able to add it in a high demand product such as batteries takes all those hurdles away
Make it into bricks and build a pyramid somewhere really dry?
I need a shit ton of salt in winter for my road. But for how long?
Ever wondered what the salt does after melting?
Same issue.
I use salt as a a weed killer in some specific area. So I guess I know, at least a little bit
Could the excess sodium used for carbon sequestration? Sodium bicarbonate is baking soda but I don't know what it could be used for aside from baking or if the energy to capture that carbon would even be a net positive.
I can't imagine it's doing this at a rate that will make a big impact on water supply, I suspect this is one of those things they throw in just to have a good headline.
Water supply where? In Saudi Arabia it could be revolutionary tech when combined with solar
Not, for example, if it's only producing 1l/day.
and boats.
They are not going to get the sodium from desalination, they will mine it because it's cheaper.
Desalination sodium is free if you want the water
and more pure
Exactly, the desalination gimmick is bullshit for STEM ignorant hippies.