Reply To: would nuclear energy really be accessible to all?

[dennisp]

Also worth mentioning: at 6% efficiency, a gallon of gas would require 683kwh to produce. That’d be prohibitive at a penny per kwh, but if FF were to cost a third of that, we’d still be competitive.

This page estimates FF energy as low as a twentieth of a cent per kwh:
https://focusfusion.org/index.php/site/article/will_is_really_be_inexpensive

At that price, with a mere 6% efficiency for the chemical process, the energy required to make a gallon of gasoline would cost 34 cents.

The Los Alamos document mentions a price of $4.60/gal, with half being energy. However, with two potential improvements to the chemical process, they estimate $3.40, including capital costs and profit, giving us $1.10 not counting energy.

Nuclear power runs around 8 cents per kwh, but let’s assume they think their GenIII nuclear will be as cheap as coal (5 cents), and FF achieves a fifth of a cent. That gives us an energy price of ($2.30/25) 9 cents per gallon. In my area, gas tax totals 50 cents/gal, giving me about $1.70/gal at retail. If we’re more conservative and figure the non-energy cost at $2.30, we’re still at $2.90/gal retail.