wake me up when someone calculates the number of BTU/hour/pound_complete_protein vs same calc for trad farming ...
Calculations already been done here in the USA by a competing group it’s 18 to 20 times more efficient per square meter of solar insolation.
Why solar panels turn 25% of insolation into electrons. Then the electrolytic cells turn 90% of those electrons into organic molecules.
The most efficient land plant is Agave Weber it’s a CAM plant and it’s 1% efficient at turning solar energy into total plant biomass. Every other terrestrial plant is less than that. It should be self evident why these are breakthroughs.
This tech gets humans to Mars and the outer planets. It also removes the limit on arable land. 6 billion people on this planet live in protein deficiency areas the ability to turn thin air and brackish water not even fresh water into protein, c carbohydrates and lipids is nothing short than a paradigm shift. Cost will be the factor not tech. With scale it would be expected to be so cheap with off peak power or busbar nuclear power.
Ask the Canadians for CANDU tech it’s the cheapest on earth they can out 1.8 cents to the plant gate 24/7 with 90% capacity factors. Then ask the Koreans to build that candu they can do it in 60 months from first pour too plant gate power. At one tenth the capex the USA does. $2800 or less per kw capex.