Energy Tower (downdraft) - Potential Problems

Potential Problems

• If salt water is used, corrosion rates can be very high. Not only would the tower and the turbines be subjected to the salty humid air, but structures nearby could be affected.
• The technology requires a hot and arid climate, and at the same time access to large amounts of water. Such locations include the coast of West Africa, Western Australia, northern Chile, Namibia, the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of California. Most of these regions are remote and thinly populated, and would require power to be transported over long distances to where it is needed. Alternatively, such plants could provide captive power for nearby industrial uses such as desalination plants, aluminium production via the Hall-Héroult process, or to generate hydrogen for ammonia production.

Large industrial consumers often locate near cheap sources of electricity. However, many of these desert regions also lack necessary infrastructure, increasing capital requirements and overall risk.