○Electricity Generation and Storage [4]

     As ocean waves are in constant motion, pendulum-style tidal power generation can provide stable electricity regardless of day or night, requiring less massive infrastructure due to its simple design. Increasing the number of installations is key to raising the total power output.

    Another method of power generation is the Magnesium Battery developed by a professor at a university in Tokyo. This battery works by immersing magnesium on the negative side and a carbon-based material on the positive side in saltwater to extract electricity. One advantage is that magnesium is abundant, with approximately 1,800 trillion tons found in seawater, available worldwide. Another benefit is the potential to reutilize spent oxidized magnesium by heating it to over 1000°C to create another magnesium battery.

    The professor has also developed devices that use mirrors to concentrate sunlight without electricity, converting it into laser light to irradiate oxidized magnesium, separating oxygen and allowing the magnesium to be reused. Additionally, a desalination device capable of extracting magnesium and salt from seawater has been devised.

    The magnesium battery used in experiments measures approximately 16.3cm in width, 23.7cm in depth, 9.7cm in height, with a weight of about 2 kilograms after filling, providing a maximum output of 250W. This could power a refrigerator (450L) of 250W for one hour. By connecting five or ten of these batteries, larger devices requiring more power can also be supplied. It's been stated that a car equipped with a 16kg magnesium battery can travel 500km.

    During seawater desalination, magnesium chloride (salt) and nigari (magnesium chloride) remain. When a laser beam is applied to magnesium chloride, magnesium is produced. Additionally, magnesium is found abundantly in desert sands. It's suggested that 13kg of magnesium can be obtained from 10 tons of seawater, equivalent to the electricity consumption of a standard household for one month.

    Another alternative method of power generation is through hydrogen, which already enables running vehicles. Using hydrogen as fuel doesn't emit carbon dioxide during usage but might release it in the manufacturing process. For instance, creating hydrogen from fossil fuels like natural gas, petroleum, or coal can result in substantial carbon dioxide emissions, making it an unsustainable option due to resource depletion.