Imagine driving across the mysterious <keyword id="20999261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Martian-landscape" source="keywords">Martian landscape</keyword>, when a rock suddenly splits open to reveal a dazzling array of bright yellow crystals. What's more, these crystals appear to be made of a substance we didn’t even think or know existed on this alien planet! Spooked yet?<br /><br />The scientists were left astounded too, as <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword>'s Curiosity <keyword id="718236" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars-rover" source="Orion">Mars rover</keyword> confirmed the discovery of yellow <keyword id="22491311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sulphur-crystals" source="keywords">sulphur crystals</keyword> on the Red Planet. <keyword id="22491312" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elemental-sulphur" source="keywords">Elemental sulphur</keyword> requires very specific conditions to form—conditions that haven’t been linked to this Martian location. Moreover, Curiosity found not just one, but a field of these bright sulphur rocks!<br /><br />Since October 2023, Curiosity has been exploring a sulphate-rich area of <keyword id="19901192" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mars" source="keywords">Mars</keyword>. Essentially salts containing sulphur, sulphates typically form as water evaporates. Previously, Mars has revealed sulphur combined with other elements in sulphur-based minerals. But this rock showed pure elemental sulphur, marking a stark contrast. The connection between this sulphur and other sulphur-based minerals in the region remains unknown.<br /><br />“Finding a field of stones made of pure sulphur is like finding an oasis in the desert. It shouldn't be there, so now we have to explain it. Discovering strange and unexpected things is what makes planetary exploration so exciting,” said Curiosity's project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.<br /><br /><div type="image" title="snow lake" msid="111898995" hostid="261" sizebytes="193768" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;NASA’s Curiosity captured this close-up image of a rock nicknamed “Snow Lake” on June 8, 2024. Nine days earlier, the rover had crushed a similar-looking rock and revealed crystalline textures—and elemental sulphur—inside.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Curiosity's exploration of <keyword id="21152586" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gediz-Vallis" source="keywords">Gediz Vallis</keyword> channel on Mount Sharp has revealed significant findings since 2014. Each mountain layer represents a different Martian era, and Curiosity's mission is to find where and when ancient Mars could have supported microbial life.<br /><br />Identified from space before Curiosity's launch, Gediz Vallis was marked as a key target. Scientists believe water and debris flows carved the channel, leaving a ridge of boulders and sediment extending 3 kilometres down. Studying this helps understand Mars' landscape evolution over billions of years. And recent observations suggest both floods and landslides formed the debris mounds on the channel floor.<br /><br />Water-carried stones are rounded, while angular rocks in some mounds indicate dry avalanches. Water exposure also created white "halo" shapes in some rocks, revealed by erosion, pointing to a complex history of <keyword id="21152585" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-on-Mars" source="keywords">water on Mars</keyword>. This led the team to collect rock samples for further analysis.<br /><br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111810338" title="Noisy neighbour: The Earth randomly blasted Venus with a Missy Elliott hip-hop song last week, because why not?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br />On June 18, Curiosity took the opportunity to sample a large rock dubbed “Mammoth Lakes”. The sulphur rocks encountered were too small and fragile for drilling, but this nearby rock provided a viable target. Engineers carefully selected a drill site and a stable parking position on the loose, sloping surface.<br /><br />Curiosity then drilled its 41st hole, using its 2-metre robotic arm. The rover's instruments analysed the powderised rock, revealing its composition. After completing this task, Curiosity moved on from Mammoth Lakes, continuing its journey to uncover more secrets within Gediz Vallis channel.<br />

Freaky finding: NASA's Curiosity rover has found something on Mars that shouldn’t have existed there!

New Delhi, What was known in theory has now been confirmed twice. The Chandrayaan-3 mission has authenticated the presence of sulphur on the lunar south pole region after on site tests, a historical first that could provide clues to the origins of the Moon and also have profound significance for space exploration, say scientists. On Thursday, India's space agency ISRO said the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) instrument onboard the Pragyan rover confirmed the presence of sulphur and some other elements in the lunar south. Before that, on Tuesday, ISRO announced that another instrument, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), found sulphur in the region. <br /><br />In line with expectations, ISRO also reported the LIBS instrument had detected aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon and oxygen. <br /><br />"The elements found on the Moon are not merely isolated compounds. They are time capsules carrying the whispers of cosmic history. Such findings not only reshape our comprehension of lunar formations but also offer potential prospects for lunar exploration and habitation," Akash Sinha, who was involved in developing software for the Pragyan rover, told PTI. <br /><br />"One prevailing theory is that the sulphur may be trapped within water ice, implying that we might be on the brink of a monumental discovery: the physical presence of water ice on the moon," the professor of practice at Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence in Delhi-NCR added. <br /><br />An old undated document from the US space agency NASA suggested the potential utilisation of sulphur for making lunar bricks or concrete using it with moon soil. Interestingly, China's reported plans to test printing bricks from lunar soil this decade for constructing a permanent moon base align with this idea. <br /><br />The revelation of sulphur's presence might hold clues to the Moon's composition and its volcanic past, scientists said. <br /><br />"Surface sulphur comes from volcanic activity, indicating heavy volcanism at some point in the Moon's history. However, the detection is from only one spot, so we need more data to gain a clearer picture," said T V Venkateswaran, a scientist at Vigyaan Prasar, an autonomous organisation under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). <br /><br />Sinha added that the discovery of sulphur represents a significant breakthrough in the understanding of lunar geology. <br /><br />"The presence of sulphur, especially in an area where volcanic activity-a common source of sulphur-is notably absent opens up intriguing possibilities about the origins of the Moon," he said. <br /><br />According to astrophysicist Sandip Chakrabarti, the in-situ measurements definitively confirm sulphur's presence in the region, a feat beyond the capabilities of the instruments on the previous Chandrayaan 1 and 2 orbiters. <br /><br />"The compositions show abundant lighter metals such as aluminium and also abundant sulphur and iron. Sulphur could come from lunar volcanoes. Only traces of heavy metals such as titanium, and chromium, were found. These are along the expected lines," Chakrabarti, director of the Indian Center for Space Physics in Kolkata, told PTI. <br /><br />These elements, he explained, aren't in their pure form and would need processing for future extraction. <br /><br />"The discoveries made by Chandrayaan-3 hold vast implications for lunar exploration. Beyond the allure of space travel, the presence of these elements paints a vivid picture of the Moon's character," Chakrabarti reflected. <br /><br />Experts also believe that aluminium's lightweight strength could become a resource for future missions, potentially transforming the Moon into a launchpad for further space exploration. Calcium's critical role in biological processes could fuel discussions about the Moon's potential as a scientific research hub. <br /><br />Chakrabarti expressed his enthusiasm for Pragyan's contribution. "It is indeed heartening that Pragyan is actually sending the composition of the topsoil of the landing area, namely, Shiv-Shakti point." <br /><br />He also highlighted the need for helium, hydrogen and water for future space travel, survival and power generation. <br /><br />"Right now, we are concentrating on survival on the Moon and not getting richer," he added. <br /><br />ISRO has initiated a thorough investigation into the presence of hydrogen. <br /><br />Venkateswaran, who is also a member of the outreach committee of the Astronomical Society of India, emphasised the rover's role in confirming a finding from Chandrayaan-1 about hydrogen particles reflected by the Moon's surface in 2008. <br /><br /> "We do need to see water in any of its forms and hydrogen. That would be a genuine achievement," Chakrabarti added. <br /><br />Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole on August 23, making India the first country to land on the uncharted surface.

Chandrayaan's detection of sulphur, other elements will help unveil Moon's mysteries, say experts

When it comes to looking for signs of life and dreaming of building an extraterrestrial human base, <keyword id="6436894" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="venus" source="Orion">Venus</keyword> has often played second fiddle to Mars. And our neighbour Venus, with its notorious 96.5% carbon dioxide-dominated atmosphere, has been largely dismissed in this regard. But a recent discovery has turned the tables, revealing the presence of atomic <keyword id="6355647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OXYGEN" source="Orion">oxygen</keyword> on both Venus's day and night sides for the first time, adding a breath of intrigue to the overlooked planet.<br /><br />Unlike the familiar oxygen molecules we breathe on <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword>, the oxygen on Venus consists of single oxygen atoms. Detecting this elusive element has proven challenging due to its reactivity and swift bonding with other elements. Enter the SOFIA airborne observatory, a Boeing 747SP aircraft equipped with an infrared telescope, which played a crucial role in this groundbreaking discovery.<br /><br />Researchers found that the temperature of atomic oxygen on Venus ranged from –120°C on the day side to –160°C on the night side, allowing them to estimate that gas hovered at an altitude of about 100 kilometres. Further, this oxygen was nestled between layers of sulfuric acid-containing clouds, forming a sandwich in the planet's tumultuous atmosphere.<br /><br />The secret behind this atomic oxygen was the <keyword id="24879" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sun" source="Orion">Sun</keyword>, playing the role of a celestial chef on Venus's day side. Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun broke down atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, birthing oxygen atoms and other chemicals in a celestial kitchen of photochemistry.<br /><br />"This detection of atomic oxygen on Venus is direct proof for the action of photochemistry — triggered by solar UV radiation — and for the transport of its products by the winds of Venus' atmosphere," explained Helmut Wiesemeyer of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany.<br /><br />But the story doesn't end there. Venusian winds, strong and relentless, carried some of this oxygen to the night side. Here, the oxygen potentially combined with molecular oxygen and other elements.<br /><br />The collision of single oxygen atoms with molecules like carbon dioxide resulted in an energy transfer, radiating away heat and producing a cooling effect on Venus — a surprising twist in the tale of a planet known for its blistering temperatures.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="This detection of ox" comment="inlineshare" text="This detection of oxygen in Venus's atmosphere isn't just a scientific curiosity; it's a key that could unlock secrets about Venus's past and its potential for life. The journey doesn't stop here; further research is essential to unravel the origin, distribution, and implications of this newfound atomic oxygen, providing us with a deeper understanding of our enigmatic planetary neighbour."><span data-til="noop" class="socialannotation">This detection of oxygen in Venus's atmosphere isn't just a scientific curiosity; it's a key that could unlock secrets about Venus's past and its potential for life. The journey doesn't stop here; further research is essential to unravel the origin, distribution, and implications of this newfound atomic oxygen, providing us with a deeper understanding of our enigmatic planetary neighbour. </span></cmsannotation>So, as we continue to explore the cosmos, let's not forget to look closer to home — Venus might just have more surprises up its sulphurous sleeve.<br />

Atomic oxygen found sandwiched between layers of sulphurous clouds On Venus

It didn't take long for <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s Chandrayaan-3 mission to make waves after its momentous soft-landing on the <keyword id="42440" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="moon" source="Orion">Moon</keyword>. In a matter of days, scientists found themselves pondering the causes of the newly discovered enigmatic moonquakes and overheating occurrences on the lunar surface. However, one revelation, in particular, had researchers brimming with anticipation: the unearthing of <keyword id="4417611" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sulphur" source="Orion">sulphur</keyword>.<br /><br />Scientists were aware of the existence of sulphur deposits on the Moon, but they were considered too scant to be of much use. However, this recent discovery turned that assumption on its head.<br /><br />If you were to examine images of the Moon, you'd notice patches of dark and white covering its entire surface. The dark areas consist of volcanic rock, which typically contains higher concentrations of sulphur compared to the white "highlands" material. Volcanic activity causes sulphur-rich rocks deep within the Moon to melt, and they later surface as magma, which eventually cools to form these dark regions.<br /><br />During this process, some of this sulphur inadvertently escapes into the Moon's thin atmosphere. Scientists believe that this sulphur would eventually have made its way to the lunar poles, where the frigid temperatures, dropping as low as -230°C due to the lack of consistent direct sunlight, would cause the element to solidify on the surface.<br /><br />This theory of condensation could explain why the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer and the LIBS instruments on Chandrayaan-3's <keyword id="7723302" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pragyan-rover" source="Orion">Pragyan Rover</keyword> detected sulphur near the landing site. Further calibration will be necessary to confirm the findings, but initial data suggests that sulphur levels in this area might be significantly higher than those in the volcanic rock near the lunar equator.<br /><br />Planetary scientist Jeffrey Gillis-Davis suggests that the mysterious concentrations of polar sulphur could also have resulted from ancient volcanic eruptions in the region. Meteorites carrying sulphur might have transported substantial amounts of the element when they collided with the Moon in the past.<br /><br />Sulphur holds great promise for a variety of applications in Moon exploration and potential habitation. Given the challenges and expenses of shuttling between <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> and the Moon, not to mention the risks involved, having access to abundant local resources can be a literal lifesaver!<br /><br />Jeffrey proposes that scientists could use sulphur to create waterless concrete for building Moon bases and produce sulphur-based solar cells, batteries, and even fertilisers for potential farming operations. The limited water we transport to our lunar neighbour could then be redirected for essential purposes like producing drinking water, breathable oxygen, and rocket fuel.<br /><br />Despite the challenges faced by Chandrayaan-3's <keyword id="7864315" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vikram-lander" source="Orion">Vikram Lander</keyword> and Pragyan Rover in reactivating from their planned slumber, the data gathered by this historic spacecraft is invaluable and is sure to benefit all future lunar missions. When mainstream society eventually takes the inevitable leap to the Moon, they will have ISRO to thank for these groundbreaking discoveries.<br />

Lunar bounty: Chandrayaan-3's sulphur discovery could help us get much closer to building Moon colonies

<br /><br /><br /><ul><li>A new study indicates that there might be <keyword id="119992" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="precious-metals">precious metals</keyword> under the lunar surface where there is excess sulphur on the surface.</li><li>In order to confirm their findings, the lead author believes "the South Pole seem like a good choice for sampling."</li><li><keyword id="414120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-2">Chandrayaan 2</keyword> won't be bringing any samples back to Earth but determining possible regions where sulphur can be found could hold clues for when India does send humans to the Moon.</li></ul>Chandrayaan 2 is inching close to the Moon's South Pole, and India hopes to be the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chandrayaan-2-puts-india-on-moon-south-pole-ahead-of-america-russia-china/articleshow/70212854.cms">first country</a> to land on its cratered surface.<br /><br />India's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chandrayaan-2-why-indias-isro-is-going-to-the-moon/articleshow/69893150.cms">Moon mission</a> will scan the lunar surface for clues about its composition. And, that unlock what's inside — like precious metals, according to a new study published in <a href="https://astronomycommunity.nature.com/users/290716-james-brenan/posts/52411-abundance-of-highly-siderophile-elements-in-lunar-basalts-controlled-by-iron-sulfide-melt">Nature GeoScience.</a><br /><br />Geologists believe that since there are similarities between the Earth and the Moon, the composition of mineral deposits found on the planet could be parallel to what might be found on the natural satellite.<br /><br />"Examination of mineral deposits on Earth suggests that iron sulfide is a great place to store precious metals, like platinum and palladium," stated <a href="https://www.dal.ca/news/2019/08/26/moon-metals--new-research-suggests-precious-metals-may-lie-below.html">James Brenan</a>, the lead author of the paper.<br /><br />And, in order to confirm his findings, "the South pole seems like a good choice for sampling".<br /><br /><strong>How will Chandrayaan 2 help?<br /></strong><br />The primary objective of the mission is to build on Chandrayaan 1's discovery of water on the Moon. <br /><br />The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chandrayaan-2-india-moon-mission-14-high-tech-instruments-to-look-for-water/articleshow/69867398.cms">high tech instruments</a> aboard the lander, Vikram, and the rover, Pragyan, will analyse the elemental composition of the Moon. Scientists are hoping that the information will help them find out more about other elements as well — like where there may find more Sulphur.<br /><br />"We have been able to link the Sulfur content of lunar volcanic rocks to the presence of iron sulfide deep inside the moon," said Brenan.<br /><br />"Our results show that sulfur in lunar volcanic rocks is a fingerprint for the presence of iron sulfide in the rocky interior of the moon, which is where we think the precious metals were left behind when the lavas were created," he added.<br /><br /><strong>Looking for sulphur<br /></strong><br />Scientists have been able to scour the Earth for years but only have 400 kilograms of lunar samples that have been brought back from Apollo and other lunar missions.<br /><br />"So, in order to find anything about the interior of the Moon, we have to kind of reverse engineer the composition of the lavas that come onto the surface," said Brenan.<br /><br />Brenan thinks that the next step for their study is to get samples from the deep, rocky part of the moon where the lunar lavas originated to in order to confirm their theory.<br /><br />That's exactly where Chandrayaan 2 is heading. It won't be bringing any samples back even though "the South Pole seems like a good choice for sampling," but its findings could hold clues for where to hunt when humans finally do return to the Moon.<br /><br />China's lunar rover, Yutu 2 — nicknamed the Jade Rabbit — is already on its way to finding new materials on the Moon. It's the first mission to explore the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-race-to-become-the-next-space-superpower-lands-china-on-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/articleshow/67364186.cms">far side of the Moon</a> and reportedly spotted a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chinas-lunar-rover-does-what-indias-chandrayaan-2-is-hoping-to-do-on-the-moons-south-pole/articleshow/70942638.cms">‘gel-like' substance</a> in one of the Moon's craters, according to the China National Space Administration.<br /><br />Vikram has already <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-lunar-lander-vikram-has-broken-away-from-the-chandrayaan-2-spacecraft-/articleshow/70945426.cms">detached from the orbiter</a> and is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chandrayaan-2-enters-moons-orbit-play-by-play-of-how-it-happened/articleshow/70751884.cms">on its way to the Moon</a>. It will attempt to soft land near the Moon's South Pole on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/why-chandrayaan-2-will-take-7-weeks-to-reach-moon/articleshow/70346159.cms">7 September 2019</a>. This will be the "15 most terrifying minutes" for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) according its Chairman, K Sivan.<br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-chandrayaan-2-is-landmark-moon-mission-for-india/articleshow/69842571.cms">India's second moon mission Chandrayaan 2 that will cost ₹10 billion will break new records</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chinas-lunar-rover-does-what-indias-chandrayaan-2-is-hoping-to-do-on-the-moons-south-pole/articleshow/70942638.cms">China's lunar rover does what India's Chandrayaan 2 is hoping to do on the Moon's South Pole</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/why-chandrayaan-2-will-take-7-weeks-to-reach-moon/articleshow/70346159.cms">Here's why it's going to take 7 weeks for Chandrayaan 2 to reach the Moon</a><br />

Chandrayaan 2 is not just looking for water on the moon

<keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword> Chairman S Somanath on Wednesday said he sees substantial potential in the Indian space during its 'Amritkaal', particularly in the application, services, and manufacturing domain.<br /><br />"When we reach our Amritkaal, the share of our economy in space will be substantially higher and it will come out in the secondary and tertiary sectors, and not by building rockets and satellites but by building applications, services, and manufacturing in India," Somanath said addressing the 50th national management convention of All India Management Association (AIMA).<br /><br />He cited examples such as hyperlocal weather update services, map services, remote sensing, and communication applications, among others which have tremendous use cases.<br /><br />"For this, we are creating the right ecosystem," the ISRO chief added. S Somanath assumed the charge of Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission on January 14, 2022<br /><br />By 2047, the Indian <keyword id="9462187" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-economy" source="Orion">space economy</keyword> is expected to be 1.8 per cent of its total GDP at USD 0.7 trillion. Emerging trends in the space sector include mining rare metals and minerals, space real estate, and made-in-space products.<br /><br />Stressing the need for an able talent pool, Somanath noted that ISRO is working with various institutions as part of its capacity-building program.<br /><br />"We are working with various institutions for the talent pool. ISRO is only a builder of the system to generate science outcomes out of it. We need laboratories, universities, and institutions that have great scientists who will make sense of the data," he asserted.<br /><br />"We continuously interact with institutions like IITs, IISERs, and research laboratories in this country to create a talent pool."<br /><br />He added that ISRO also collaborates with most of the nations in the world and has 60+ MoUs with various nations.<br /><br />Asked how ISRO makes <keyword id="423471" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cost-effective" source="Orion">cost-effective</keyword> space technologies and solutions, he said it is in the organisation's culture. "Cost control is in the culture of the organisation...the organisation itself does not allow you to exceed cost."<br /><br />Somanath said re-usage of hardware is another way how save cost.<br /><br />Further, on private participation in space, he said there are a huge amount of business opportunities opening up in the space sector private entrepreneurs can scale up their activities substantially. He said it would not be possible for the government to all the future space programs.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the <keyword id="7864315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vikram-lander" source="Orion">Vikram lander</keyword> and the Pragyan rover of <keyword id="8011274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chandrayaan-3" source="Orion">Chandrayaan-3</keyword>, who went into "sleep mode" near the Moon's South Pole after having completed their set tasks, were expected to awake on Friday (September 22).<br /><br />"Efforts have been made to establish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to ascertain their wake-up condition. As of now, no signals have been received from them. Efforts to establish contact will continue," ISRO had said as it failed to awaken the modules on September 22.<br /><br />India took a giant leap as the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon's South Pole on August 23, making it the first country to have achieved the historic feat and bringing to an end the disappointment over the crash landing of the Chandrayaan-2, four years ago.<br /><br />After having landed, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover performed different sets of tasks on the lunar surface for about 14 days, including finding the presence of sulphur and other minor elements, recording relative temperature, and listening to movements around it. One day on the Moon is equal to 14 days on Earth. <br /><br />

ISRO chief sees potential in space sector beyond just building rockets, satellites

<ul class="summary-list"><li>India's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moon-cube-discovered-by-chinese-rover-is-just-a-rock-2022-1">moon rover</a> made its first scientific observation near the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-moon-landings-on-lunar-south-pole-crashed-2023-8">lunar south pole</a>.</li><li>The 57-pound rover is called Pragyaan — a Hindu name meaning one who possesses wisdom.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-india-attempt-first-ever-moon-landing-2023-8">India made history</a> by becoming the first country to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-plans-send-humans-to-moon-celebrates-lunar-probe-success-2023-8">land successfully</a> near the lunar south pole. And its lunar rover wasted no time in rolling out to make its first scientific observations. </p><p>On Tuesday, the Indian Space Research Organization announced on its website that the moon rover had <a href="https://www.isro.gov.in/LIBSResults.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> the presence of sulphur. And preliminary analyses also suggest the presence of aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium, and titanium. </p><p>Suffice it to say, the rover's been busy. This adorable rover is called Pragyaan — a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oppenheimer-famous-quote-become-death-destroyer-worlds-from-hindu-scripture-2023-7">Hindu</a> name meaning one who possesses greater knowledge and wisdom.</p><p>Pragyaan weighs 57 pounds, about the size of a small German shepherd or bull terrier, and it's spending two weeks driving <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-moon-landings-on-lunar-south-pole-crashed-2023-8">where no robot or human has been before</a>.</p><p>Pragyaan's science could be critical for learning how to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-scientists-discover-moons-hidden-water-stores-2020-10">mine moon water</a> — a goal every moon-minded nation is eyeing.</p><p>The rover may be small and cute, but India's new moon mission "definitely puts them on the international stage as an emerging space power," Robert Braun, head of space exploration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, told Insider.</p><h2>What will India's moon rover do next?</h2><p>It's equipped with a laser and an alpha-particle beam to help it study the composition of the lunar south pole region, which is of particular interest.</p><div type="image" title="Image of India's moon lander and rover in lab on Earth." height="483" width="725" msid="102996626" hostid="261"></div><p>The lunar south pole is thought to be the most <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/moon-south-pole-has-more-than-water-according-to-nasa-scientists/articleshow/70356565.cms">water-rich region on the moon</a>. That's critical since water ice could be mined to produce breathable oxygen for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-artemis-humans-to-live-moon-by-2030-says-official-2022-11">future crewed lunar bases</a>, as well as hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel that could propel <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buzz-aldrin-moon-should-be-launch-pad-for-mars-2018-6">future missions to Mars</a> and beyond.</p><p>The rover will also use its RAMBHA and ILSA payloads on board to study the lunar atmosphere as well as dig up samples for additional analysis of the surface's composition, per <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/chandrayaan-3-rover-will-leave-a-mark-of-india-on-moon-surface/articleshow/101765194.cms?from=mdr">Times of India</a>.</p><p>But it was the rover's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument that ultimately made the first-ever measurements of the lunar south pole region's composition, ISRO reported. The laser fires intense pulses at the lunar surface, which generates an extremely hot plasma.</p><p>That's where a trick of physics comes in handy: Each element on the periodic table emits a unique set of wavelengths of light. Scientists can study the light from the plasma to identify those wavelength sets and determine the chemical make-up of the stuff on the moon.</p><h2>A moment for the history books</h2><p>India is the fourth country — after Russia, the US, and China — to land on the moon.</p><p>"It's a huge achievement for the whole nation," Braun said. "Last time they got to the playoffs, if you will, and this time they won the Super Bowl."</p><p>"Everyone in the space community is joining with the nation of India, and their talented engineers and scientists, and celebrating their success and this achievement," he added.</p><p><em>Correction: August 28, 2023 — An earlier version of this article misstated Robert Braun's title. He is head of space exploration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, not head of a Space Exploration Center there. This story has been updated. It was originally published on August 23, 2023.</em></p><p><em>Editor's note September 1, 2023: This article has been updated to clarify that India's spacecraft landed in the lunar south pole region, not on the point of the lunar south pole.</em></p>

India's adorable, dog-sized moon rover did its first science on the moon by shooting powerful laser beams at the surface

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57d06c71b996eb57128b66c8-1650/planetary smash up.jpg" alt="planetary smash up" data-mce-source="A. Passwaters/Rice University based on original courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech" data-mce-caption="The ratio of volatile elements in Earth's mantle suggests that virtually all of the planet's life-giving carbon came from a collision with an embryonic planet approximately 100 million years after Earth formed." /><p class="source"><span>A. Passwaters/Rice University based on original courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>How life formed on Earth is one of the biggest questions in <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword>. And a huge part of that question is how exactly Earth collected all of the chemical ingredients it needed to eventually create living organisms, like you for example.</p><p>Until now, scientists thought that it took hundreds of millions of years after our solar system formed for Earth to pick up these ingredients. But a group of scientists at Rice University just came out with <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2801">a study</a> that suggests at least a couple of these ingredients might have come along much sooner.</p><p>"The question is: is there no possible scenario in which carbon could have come to our planet during the main phase of planet formation?" Rajdeep Dasgupta, Rice geologist and co-author of the new study, told Business Insider.</p><p>Turns out, there is a possible scenario indeed. And it involves a massive, ancient explosion.</p><h2><strong>The recipe for life</strong></h2><p>Think about the things you need to properly exist. On one level, there's water, food, air, your phone maybe. But when you break that down you get oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, and carbon. This is what 99% of your body is made of - these are the elements that conspire together to maintain your existence.</p><p>So imagine we take away some of these elements. Let's pick one of the more volatile elements, like carbon. Imagine we go back in time 4.5 billion years to when Earth was just a baby and we strip it of all its carbon: We burn up all of the carbon in Earth's atmosphere and lock away what's left deep inside its core. Then what happens?</p><p>Probably nothing. Literally nothing - life on Earth doesn't form and our special planet remains just another lifeless speck in the ever-expanding universe.</p><p>That's because as far as we know, life doesn't form without carbon. Not only is carbon the most abundant element on Earth, it has the miraculous ability to cluster together in branches that other molecules latch onto - it's the central building block that allows for the complex molecular structures necessary for life.</p><p>But scientists argue that in the early days of Earth's long life, this was exactly the case. They say that most of baby Earth's carbon would have either evaporated into the void of space or become trapped in its metallic core.</p><p><strong>So the question is: Where did all of our carbon - the carbon that all known life is based on - come from?</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57d2d2f7077dcc6b138b4642-2114/earth-apollo-8-nasa.jpg" alt="earth apollo 8 nasa" data-mce-source="NASA" data-mce-caption="Earth as photographed by Apollo 8 astronauts on December 22, 1968." data-link="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=36019" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=36019">NASA</a></span></p><p class="caption">Earth as photographed by Apollo 8 astronauts on December 22, 1968.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Many scientists believe that it was delivered to us hundreds of million years after the formation of the solar system by meteorites.</p><p>"It's as if you are dusting the planet after the core of it formed with some small amount of goodies that bring in all of these important elements," Dasgupta said.</p><p>But there's a problem with this hypothesis. Although it might explain the overwhelming abundance of carbon on Earth, it doesn't account for the ratio of carbon to other elements, like sulphur and nitrogen.</p><p>Now, the scientists at Rice University think they might have a different answer that addresses this problem. And it involves a 4.4 billion year old collision in which baby Earth devoured an embryonic, Mercury-like planet.</p><p>The scientists had been studying how carbon would behave if it had been present during Earth's early formation, the main phase of its accretion. During this process, scientists imagine there was an ocean of silicate magma, and all the denser metallic liquid would have sunk through the ocean to eventually form Earth's metallic core. They found that if carbon was present at that time, it all would have gotten trapped in our planet's iron core, leaving almost nothing available to its mantle, crust, and atmosphere.</p><p>And yet, right now, carbon is the most abundant element on our planet.</p><p>The scientists wondered if this carbon-trapping core is the case on all terrestrial planets in the magma ocean stage.</p><p>And it turns out, it's not. If the iron-rich core of a planetary body also has a significant amount of sulphur or silicon, it actually expels carbon, meaning there might be a significant concentration of carbon in its outer portions.</p><h2><strong>Earth eats planets like Mercury for breakfast</strong></h2><p>In fact, our solar system's very own Mercury has many of these properties - its core is thought to be relatively silicon-rich while its surface looks to be much more carbon-rich compared to other planetary bodies.</p><p>"We sort of joined the two dots,'" Rajdeep said. "We saw that one way to then bring carbon to our planet would be a merger or collision between Earth and a planetary embryo similar to Mercury."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57d2c3f0b0ef971c008b477b-1338/0822_smash-nosym-lg-1eqd9df (1).jpg" alt="0822_SMASH nosym lg 1eqd9df (1)" data-mce-source="Rajdeep Dasgupta" /><p class="source"><span>Rajdeep Dasgupta</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>According to Rajdeep, if Earth smacked into and swallowed this sort of planetary body in the early stages of its formation, then the carbon-rich silicate portion of that planet would get mixed in with baby Earth's mantle. Not only would this explain the abundance of carbon on our planet, it would also account for the ratio of carbon to other elements, such as sulphur.</p><p>"This points to the origin of carbon as an element in our planet," Rajdeep said. "It basically sets the stage for any future development of carbon based life."</p><h2><strong>A new framework for the scientific community </strong></h2><p>But he was quick to point out that the study doesn't directly address the formation of life, but rather it offers an explanation about how life sustaining elements such as carbon and sulphur arrived at our planet.</p><p>"Of course, you need many other factors to line up and work in tandem for elemental carbon to give to rise to the right molecules to foster life," Dasgupta said. "This study is not about that. It just says at least the ingredients to make the right recipe for life were available early on, and you didn't need to rely on much later additions brought by asteroids."</p><p>Dasgupta admits that the study, which provides a very different view of the origin of volatile elements like carbon, is going to be provocative, and many future studies will have to be done to build up more evidence for the hypothesis. He added that aside from the abundance of carbon and sulphur, there are many other volatiles that need to be explained. For example, he said, many people wonder how water was delivered to our planet, and how nitrogen was behaving during these types of processes.</p><p>"What's exciting about this study is that it provides a very different framework for the scientific community to think about how volatiles might have acted during Earth's formation," Dasgupta said. "Many more studies will follow to try to tease out the details or other possibilities."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/osiris-rex-nasas-1-billion-mission-2016-9">NASA's next mission is collecting 'scientific treasure' that could answer one of life's greatest mysteries</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="p0YWdxNTE6TIm8aDSJ0WplDSlYxWrSjP" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'p0YWdxNTE6TIm8aDSJ0WplDSlYxWrSjP',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

An ancient collision might explain a longstanding mystery about how Earth collected the ingredients for life

<strong><br /></strong><ul><li><strong>"Urge you all to watch the special moments of Chandrayaan-2 descending on to the Lunar South pole": tweeted PM Modi</strong></li><li><strong><keyword id="414120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-2">Chandrayaan 2</keyword>’s lander, Vikram will attempt to soft land near the Moon’s South Pole between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on 7 September 2019. </strong></li><li><strong>Interestingly, Chandrayaan 2 is not just looking for water on the moon. Read Business Insider India to find out more.</strong><br /></li></ul>Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> might help you get some followers, likes and retweets on <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword>. Oh no, he is not endorsing your ‘gyaan’ on life, but definitely acknowledging your valued thoughts on Chandrayaan2 - one of India’s most historic lunar missions. <br /><br />Taking to Twitter, PM said, “I urge you all to watch the special moments of Chandrayaan - 2 descending on to the Lunar South Pole! Do share your photos on social media. I will re-tweet some of them too.”<br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="14928" retweetcount="3146" status="I urge you all to watch the special moments of Chandrayaan - 2 descending on to the Lunar South Pole! Do share your… https://t.co/PhYdWVY2qv" createdat="1567755813000" id="1169878791360925697"></div>



<br />PM Modi will be watching Chandrayaan 2’s descent on the Moon with youngsters from the <keyword id="6358064" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="isro">ISRO</keyword> Centre in Bengaluru. <br /><br />“The youngsters with whom I will watch the special moments from the ISRO Centre in Bengaluru are those bright minds who won the ISRO Space Quiz on MyGov. The large scale participation in this Quiz showcases the interest of the youth in science and space. This is a great sign!”<br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="3866" retweetcount="744" status="The youngsters with whom I will watch the special moments from the ISRO Centre in Bengaluru are those bright minds… https://t.co/wSYkQ2SiUD" createdat="1567755703000" id="1169878328196526082"></div>



<br />India’s is going to become the first country in the world to land near the Moon’s South Pole tonight and the whole world is waiting to watch Chandrayaan 2 land. <br /><br />After seven weeks of maneuvering through space and Chandrayaan 2’s lander, Vikram, is finally reach to make its approach.<br /><br />This will be the “15 most terrifying moments” for the Indian Space Research Organisation, according Chairman K Sivan. <br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="BiIndia" handlename="Business Insider India🇮🇳" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/897791968561856513/lSAPr7ui_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9" retweetcount="3" status="#WATCH | #Chandrayaan2's soft landing on #Moon on Saturday at 1:30am: Things you must know.  Read more:… https://t.co/cE9CUy9pss" createdat="1567754453000" id="1169873085995970562"></div>



<br />Modi also said — “The moment 130 crore Indians were enthusiastically waiting for is here! In a few hours from now, the final descent of Chandrayaan - 2 will take place on the Lunar South Pole. India, and the rest of the world will yet again see the exemplary prowess of our space scientists.”<br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="6523" retweetcount="1280" status="I am extremely excited to be at the ISRO Centre in Bengaluru to witness the extraordinary moment in the history of… https://t.co/3cEPhtGiUp" createdat="1567755702000" id="1169878325763788800"></div>



<br />Chandrayaan 2’s lander, Vikram, separately from the orbiter on 2 September 2019 and is currently in the process of putting itself in the correct position to begin its soft-landing. <br /><br />It’s a milestone for India since it will be landing one of the most cratered regions on the Moon — that too with indegenious built technology for the first time. <br /><br />Chandrayaan 2 will also make India the fourth country to soft-land on the lunar surface, if it’s successful. <br />Excited over ISRO’s achievements, the prime minister said, “I have been regularly and enthusiastically tracking all updates relating to Chandrayaan - 2 since it was launched on 22nd July 2019. This Mission manifests the best of Indian talent and spirit of tenacity. Its success will benefit crores of Indians.”<br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="isro" handlename="ISRO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/413572279734247424/LshYgwCH_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="24026" retweetcount="4906" status="We have the same wishes for Vikram, Orbiter. Want to stay in touch with Vikram and Pragyan as they make their way t… https://t.co/rL4mBBjpVF" createdat="1567740649000" id="1169815188972826625"></div>


<br /><strong>Here’s where and how to watch Chandrayaan 2 land on the Moon:<br /></strong><br />National Geographic will be hosting the live broadcast on 7 September 2019 between 1.30 am to 2.30 am. The show will be hosted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) astronaut, Jerry Linenger. <br /><br />Linenger will walk viewers through the soft landing and also share his own experiences in space with them, according to the channel. <br /><br />Hotstar users can also watch the Moon landing live through the streaming platform. <br /><br />ISRO will also reportedly live stream the event from the Satellite Control Centre (SCC) in Bengaluru. The feed will be able on ISRO’s official site as well as through their channel on YouTube. <br /><br />Chandrayaan 2 is inching close to the Moon's South Pole, and India hopes to be the first country to land on its cratered surface. <br /><br />India's Moon mission will scan the lunar surface for clues about its composition. And, that unlock what's inside — like precious metals, according to a new study published in Nature GeoScience. <br /><br />
	<div type="twitter" handle="isro" handlename="ISRO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/413572279734247424/LshYgwCH_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="15464" retweetcount="3337" status="Watch this video to find out more about Vikram — Chandrayaan 2’s Lander — and the different stages of its journey t… https://t.co/Wm4uS7yxQW" createdat="1567701269000" id="1169650015347732481"></div>



<br />Geologists believe that since there are similarities between the Earth and the Moon, the composition of mineral deposits found on the planet could be parallel to what might be found on the natural satellite. <br /><br />"Examination of mineral deposits on Earth suggests that iron sulfide is a great place to store precious metals, like platinum and palladium," stated James Brenan, the lead author of the paper. <br /><br />And, in order to confirm his findings, "the South pole seems like a good choice for sampling". <br /><br /><strong>How will Chandrayaan 2 help?<br /></strong><br />The primary objective of the mission is to build on Chandrayaan 1's discovery of water on the Moon. <br /><br />The high tech instruments aboard the lander, Vikram, and the rover, Pragyan, will analyse the elemental composition of the Moon. Scientists are hoping that the information will help them find out more about other elements as well — like where there may find more Sulphur. <br /><br />"We have been able to link the Sulfur content of lunar volcanic rocks to the presence of iron sulfide deep inside the moon," said Brenan. <br /><br />"Our results show that sulfur in lunar volcanic rocks is a fingerprint for the presence of iron sulfide in the rocky interior of the moon, which is where we think the precious metals were left behind when the lavas were created," he added. <br />

PM Modi might retweet you tonight, here's how you can feature on his Twitter timeline

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/550ab8cf69beddb0680069ee-2400/ap154010515863.jpg" alt="colombia cocaine" data-mce-source="AP" data-mce-caption="A counter-narcotic police stands guard packages of seized cocaine at the police station as it are show to the media in Necocli, Colombia, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015." /><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">A counter-narcotic police stands guard packages of seized cocaine at the police station as it are show to the media in Necocli, Colombia, February 24, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>On Sunday, Colombia's peace plan to end a 52-year war between leftist rebels and the state <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colombia-farc-peace-vote-results-no-2016-10" target="_blank">was voted down</a>, with Colombians casting about 54,000 more "no" votes than "yes" votes, out of more than 13 million ballots cast.</p><p>The failure of the peace plan has sent both sides scrambling to figure if the deal negotiated over four long years can be saved or modified.</p><p>The longer the situation lasts, the more likely it is that Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who were set to disarm a week ago, slip back into one of their most lucrative enterprises: cocaine production.</p><p>FARC rebels have been a mainstay in Colombia's production of coca, the precursor ingredient for cocaine, for the last few decades, controlling as much as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colombia-farc-peace-plan-drug-production-and-trafficking-problems-2016-8" target="_blank">70% of the country's production</a> and therefore about 40% of the world's supply of the drug.</p><p>A central part of the rejected peace deal was the rebel group's extrication from the cocaine trade and the eradication of coca crops around the country.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57f6a3619bd9782a188b5298-2400/rtsnlcz.jpg" alt="Colombia FARC rebels peace deal cocaine production" data-mce-source="REUTERS /John Vizcaino" data-mce-caption="Marco Leon Calarca, left, a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), talks to FARC members at a camp to prepare for a congress to ratify a peace deal with the government, near El Diamante in Yari Plains, Colombia, September 9, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS /John Vizcaino</span></p><p class="caption">Marco Leon Calarca, left, a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), talks to FARC members at a camp to prepare for a congress to ratify a peace deal with the government, near El Diamante in Yari Plains, Colombia, September 9, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Colombia laid out in the peace accords a new strategy that was going to be based on communities voluntarily eradicating coca, with the FARC actually helping to eradicate," Adam Isacson, senior associate for regional security at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), said during a conference call the day after the voting.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There is a pilot project for this new strategy being launched in a part of northwestern Colombia that involved active-duty FARC members and military and others beginning" to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/farc-cocaine-production-in-colombia-coca-paste-2016-7/#as-a-part-of-colombias-deal-with-the-farc-to-end-more-than-50-years-of-hostilities-the-rebel-group-which-reportedly-controls-70-of-the-coca-crops-in-the-country-and-the-government-have-agreed-to-implement-a-joint-crop-substitution-program-4" target="_blank">remove coca crops and replace them with legal crops</a>, such as bananas and coffee. The</span> program, among others, is likely to be "on hold," Isacson added.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/577ecfb388e4a71a008b6930-2400/ap_16188860866316.jpg" alt="Colombia cocaine production" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd" data-mce-caption="In this January 7, 2016, photo, Gonzalo stirs a mix of mulched coca leaves and cement with gasoline, as part of the initial process to make coca paste, at a small makeshift lab in the mountain region of Antioquia, Colombia. Apart from gasoline and cement, ammonia, sulphuric acid, sodium permanganate, and caustic soda are some of the chemicals used to produce the paste." /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd</span></p><p class="caption">In this January 7, 2016, photo, a farmer stirs a mix of mulched coca leaves and cement with gasoline, as part of the initial process to make coca paste, at a makeshift lab in Antioquia, Colombia. Apart from gasoline and cement, ammonia, sulphuric acid, sodium permanganate, and caustic soda are some of the chemicals used to make the paste.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Whether those programs can go forward depends on whether FARC leadership, the Colombian government, and the Colombian opposition find a way to salvage the deal.</p><p>If the "political limbo" lasts two to three weeks, the FARC won't revert back to the drug trade and other criminal enterprises, said, Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, WOLA's senior associate for the Andes, said during the call. "But over time, if they don't have the means to be able to sustain themselves and their forces they will very much regress back to extortion rackets and to being part of that trade."</p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The timeline that has developed already suggests FARC rebels will fall back on their old activities. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/how-will-peace-crisis-shake-up-colombia-s-criminal-landscape" target="_blank">According</a> to Insight Crime, Colombian <span>Congress President Mauricio Lizcano has estimated that forming a new commission to negotiate with Colombia's opposition over potential modifications to the deal will take at least a month. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5758323352bcd028008c7a6c-2400/rtx2fdrv.jpg" alt="Colombia cocaine paste food" data-mce-source="REUTERS/John Vizcaino" data-mce-caption="Chicken, fish, and eggs lie next to coca paste worth $14,000 Colombian pesos at a local store in Guyabero Region, Guaviare, Colombia. As Colombia nears a historic peace deal with the rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the nation's authorities are struggling to tame an increase in farming of coca, the raw material used to make cocaine." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/John Vizcaino</span></p><p class="caption">Chicken, fish, and eggs lie next to coca paste worth $14,000 Colombian pesos at a local store in Guyabero Region, Guaviare, Colombia.</p></div><p></p></div></div><span></span>Such a timeline not only means that </span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span>FARC rebels will have to find a way to finance their presence in encampments around the country; it also will likely go past the October 31 date to which President Juan Manuel Santos has extended the bilateral cease-fire in effect since August.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span>Some factions of the FARC rejected the negotiations and have continued criminal activities. <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/how-will-peace-crisis-shake-up-colombia-s-criminal-landscape" target="_blank">Reports</a> cited by Insight Crime indicate some FARC elements have already left the group form new criminal groups. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span>As time passes, the potential grows for FARC rebels who complied with the peace process to join their more recalcitrant compatriots, which would almost certainly mean <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/farc-cocaine-production-in-colombia-coca-paste-2016-7/#though-coca-cultivation-dropped-off-in-the-late-2000s-it-has-seen-a-resurgence-in-recent-years-with-cultivation-in-2014-climbing-44-over-the-amount-recorded-in-2013-7" target="_blank">the recent spikes in coca production in Colombia</a> will only continue.</span></span></p><p>"Colombia for the moment is without a real strategy in place for getting rid of coca, because what they have on paper can't be implemented," Isacson said.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/three-tons-cocaine-seized-pacific-ocean-ecuador-colombia-galapagos-islands-2015-12">Colombian authorities seized 3 tons of cocaine bound for the US hidden in a 'narco-submarine'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="A1bGJveTr1cwKHKCq0KhC7yxo-DZ_qrx" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'A1bGJveTr1cwKHKCq0KhC7yxo-DZ_qrx',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Colombia's failed peace-deal vote could make its cocaine problem worse

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5798ff9c4321f11b008bb583-2400/rtsd7qw.jpg" alt="Los Urabenos Colombia drug gang cartels Medellin" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Fredy Builes" data-mce-caption="A solider and a policeman patrol near a wreckage of a passenger bus, which, according to local authorities, was burned by &amp;quotLos Urabenos&quot; gang members, in Belen neighborhood, Medellin, Colombia, April 1, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Fredy Builes</span></p><p class="caption">A solider and a policeman patrol near a wreckage of a passenger bus, which, according to local authorities, was burned by "Los Urabenos" gang members, in Belen neighborhood, Medellin, Colombia, April 1, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In June, the Colombian government reached a deal with the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colombia-and-farc-rebels-reach-ceasefire-deal-2016-6" target="_blank">to end the 52-year war</a> the latter group had waged against the Colombian state.</p><p>Myriad political and logistical challenges <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colombia-and-farc-rebels-reach-ceasefire-deal-2016-6" target="_blank">remain</a> for that peace deal, but even as the FARC has agreed to lay down its arms, another threat to the country's stability looks set to endure: cocaine, and the people who produce and traffic it.</p><p>FARC rebels, based around the country during their campaign against the state, have long funded their operations through <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/98dea2d6b485415bb2a5f37f1c0e2685/cocas-comeback-forces-colombia-rethink-drug-war" target="_blank">taxes on coca</a>, the base product for cocaine, that were produced and shipped through their territory.</p><p>The group <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/bacrim-winner-or-loser-in-colombia-peace-deal" target="_blank">controls 70%</a> of the coca-growing area in Colombia, and its involvement in the trade is thought to have earned it anything from <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/07/farc-cocaine-colombia/489551/?utm_source=atltw" target="_blank">$200 million to $3.5 billion</a> a year.</p><p>FARC leaders already agreed to abandon the trade as a condition of the peace talks and have started a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/farc-cocaine-production-in-colombia-coca-paste-2016-7" target="_blank">joint crop-replacement program</a> with the government. But the production of the drug has not slacked; in fact, it has increased.</p><p>A <a href="http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2016/July/coca-crop-in-colombia-increases-almost-40-per-cent-over-one-year_-new-unodc-report.html?ref=fs1" target="_blank">July report</a> from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime found that coca production in Colombia increased 40% between 2014 and 2015, growing from about 170,500 acres to about 237,200 last year. The total acreage under cultivation in 2015 was also double the amount found in 2013. (The US government estimated <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/98dea2d6b485415bb2a5f37f1c0e2685/cocas-comeback-forces-colombia-rethink-drug-war" target="_blank">a 42% increase in 2015</a>, to 393,000 acres.)</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/577ecf2a88e4a71b008b699e-2400/ap_16188860831201.jpg" alt="Colombia cocaine production" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd" data-mce-caption="In this January 6, 2016, photo, Edgar mulches coca leaves with a weed eater as the first step in making coca paste at a small makeshift lab in the mountain region of Antioquia, Colombia. Next to him the laborers who harvested the leaves eat their breakfast." /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd</span></p><p class="caption">In this January 6, 2016, photo, Edgar mulches coca leaves with a weed eater as the first step in making coca paste at a small makeshift lab in the mountain region of Antioquia, Colombia.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The UN estimated potential cocaine production for 2015 at 646 metric tons, an increase of 46% over 2014.</p><p>The UN report also found that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/farc-cocaine-production-in-colombia-coca-paste-2016-7" target="_blank">81% of cultivation was concentrated</a> in five of Colombia's 23 departments: Cauca, Nariño, Putumayo, Caquetá and Norte de Santander, which are in areas of high FARC activity.</p><p>The significant spike in coca production has raised criticism of the Colombian government from several sources.</p><p>"There are domestic critics that think that Santos' administration has been giving concessions to the FARC in terms of taking it easy or loosening on its antinarcotics efforts," Anna Szterenfeld, the Economist Intelligence Unit's senior analyst for Colombia, told Business Insider.</p><p>"We know that the FARC has been big in coca cultivation for all these years to finance itself. We know that the FARC demanded a cessation of aerial fumigation of coca crops, and last year the Santos [administration] halted aerial fumigation but gave as its rationale the fact that the chemical being used is carcinogenic," Szterenfeld told Business Insider. "But there's skepticism and people think that was sort of a bone that they threw to the FARC. That's reasonable, I think."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5798f9f388e4a7f4328baf7d-1291/colombia rebel groups ceasefire farc june 2016.jpg" alt="Colombia rebel groups ceasefire FARC June 2016" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="FARC factions exist throughout Colombia, but clashes between rebel groups and the government have decreased in recent years." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">FARC factions exist throughout Colombia, but clashes between rebel groups and the government have decreased in recent years.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Criticism on this point is not limited to Colombians. The US government, on which the Colombian government relies for considerable aid and support, has noted the increase in coca cultivation, attributing it to decreased eradication efforts.</p><p>"We have to acknowledge that as the peace process and the negotiations have developed for the last four years, one of the elements of the Colombian government policy that has not been maintained at its previous levels is counternarcotic and eradication efforts," William Brownfield, a former ambassador to Colombia and the US State Department's top antidrug official, <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ba0fc038e9bc4a76a5a26b5ab2765caf/us-sees-colombian-resolve-drug-war-waning-peace-looms" target="_blank">told</a> the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in June.</p><p>Brownfield <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ba0fc038e9bc4a76a5a26b5ab2765caf/us-sees-colombian-resolve-drug-war-waning-peace-looms" target="_blank">said</a> he backed Colombia's peace efforts, but other elements of the US government will likely take issue with the increased cultivation.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5798fac088e4a7fd018bb2ac-2400/rtr36vsd.jpg" alt="Colombia coca cocaine crops eradication war on drugs" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Fredy Builes" data-mce-caption="An antidrug policeman escorts workers during an eradication operation at a coca-leaf plantation near San Miguel, southern Putumayo province, August 15 2012." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Fredy Builes</span></p><p class="caption">An antidrug policeman escorts workers during an eradication operation at a coca-leaf plantation near San Miguel, southern Putumayo province, August 15 2012.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"Remember that Colombia has to be on good terms with the United States," Szterenfeld told Business Insider.</p><p>With the Obama administration requesting $450 million to support post-conflict programs in Colombia, it's likely that the "US Congress, and Republicans in particular, are going to say, 'OK, but if we're going to give Colombia more money, we want to see some more efforts on their part to combat this increase in coca crops, etc.'" Szterenfeld added.</p><p>"So it creates yet one more challenge for the government of Colombia to deal with."</p><h2>Ongoing security challenges</h2><p>Even if the FARC were to totally extricate itself from the coca and cocaine trade (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colombias-army-is-stepping-up-its-fight-against-dissident-farc-rebels-across-the-nation-2016-7" target="_blank">one notorious faction</a> has already said it won't lay down its arms, and <a href="http://colombiareports.com/farc-fronts-refuse-disarm-demobilize/" target="_blank">others may follow suit</a>), other groups are likely to continue, if not intensify, their production of the drug.</p><p>Colombia's current criminal groups (bandas criminales, or BACRIM, as they're known in Spanish) are already involved in the cocaine trade, shipping millions of dollars in product through the country and on to points abroad. With the FARC pulling out of the cocaine racket in some parts of the country, it's likely this group will compete with each other and the authorities to fill the void.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55c4d91d371d2277018bdc87-2400/colombia-cocaine-submarine.jpg" alt="Colombia cocaine submarine" data-mce-source="REUTERS/John Vizcaino" data-mce-caption="Counternarcotics police guard an under-construction submersible that was seized from the &amp;quotLos Urabenos&quot; drugs cartel, in Puerto Escondido, Monteria province October 18, 2011. Colombian authorities said that the submersible ship seized on Monday could be used to carry six tons of cocaine illegally." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/John Vizcaino</span></p><p class="caption">Counternarcotics police guard an under-construction drug-smuggling sub that was seized from the Los Urabenos cartel, in Puerto Escondido, Monteria province, Colombia, October 18, 2011.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>According to studies and field research by Insight Crime, BACRIM are <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/bacrim-winner-or-loser-in-colombia-peace-deal" target="_blank">already looking</a> to move into areas vacated by the FARC.</p><p>Chief among those groups is <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/urabenos-profile" target="_blank">Los Urabeños</a>, which was formed by leaders of demobilized right-wing paramilitary members and is now considered the only BACRIM with a national reach, often working with Mexican traffickers to move immense amounts of cocaine north from Colombia.</p><p>Moreover, some BACRIM elements have mounted <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/bacrim-winner-or-loser-in-colombia-peace-deal" target="_blank">attacks against civil-society programs</a> in an attempt to slow or scuttle the ongoing demobilization, as the end of the FARC would mean more law-enforcement focus on the BACRIM, in addition to the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colombian-cocaine-seizures-dangerous-shift-2016-6" target="_blank">heavy security pressure they already face</a>.</p><p>"As the FARC move out of some of the areas of the country where they've been dominant ... there is a risk that these existing ... criminal groups do move in," Szterenfeld told Business Insider.</p><p>"So it means that for the government, there's still going to be a tremendous need to have a strong security presence in these areas of the country."</p><h2>'We'll fight whoever comes and touches our plants'</h2><p>Alongside challenges from recalcitrant FARC units and ambitious criminal groups, the Colombian government will have to contend with farmers and coca growers who are sure to resist switching to legitimate crops.</p><p>Some farmers who have gone through with crop-replacement schemes have found that some legitimate crops bring in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-a-blow-to-us-policy-colombia-is-again-the-worlds-top-producer-of-coca/2015/11/10/316d2f66-7bf0-11e5-bfb6-65300a5ff562_story.html" target="_blank">less than one-third</a> of what coca crops did - an amount below the country's minimum wage.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/577ecb7b88e4a727008b69ff-2400/ap_16188860905322.jpg" alt="Colombia cocaine production" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd" data-mce-caption="In this January 7, 2016, photo, Edgar mixes liquid coca paste at a small makeshift lab in the mountain region of Antioquia, Colombia. He wears a mask because it can be hard to breathe amid the noxious fumes that emanate from various buckets marinating the huge mix of leaves." /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd</span></p><p class="caption">In this January 7, 2016, photo, a farmer, wearing a mask to ward off noxious fumes, mixes liquid coca paste at a small makeshift lab in the mountain region of Antioquia, Colombia.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Moreover, logistical issues have compelled some farmers to either stick with or switch back to coca plants: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/farc-cocaine-production-in-colombia-coca-paste-2016-7" target="_blank">Some legitimate crops are not viable</a> in parts of Colombia where coca is grown, and some parts of the country are so rugged and remote that bananas or other goods would <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/farc-cocaine-production-in-colombia-coca-paste-2016-7" target="_blank">spoil before they reach the market</a>.</p><p>"But with coca," Jeremy McDermott, codirector of Insight Crime, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/07/farc-cocaine-colombia/489551/?utm_source=atltw" target="_blank">told The Atlantic</a>, "the buyer will come to your house."</p><p>For those farmers, the government's goal of reducing coca crops clashes with their need to provide for themselves.</p><p>"We'll fight whoever comes and touches our plants," Fernando Zapata, a community council leader in a tiny hamlet located in Colombia's north-central Antioquia department, <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/98dea2d6b485415bb2a5f37f1c0e2685/cocas-comeback-forces-colombia-rethink-drug-war" target="_blank">told</a> the Associated Press when <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/farc-cocaine-production-in-colombia-coca-paste-2016-7" target="_blank">it visited the region to document the coca-paste-production process</a>. "We're organized and will fight to the death if necessary. They want to stop us from feeding our families."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/577ecfb388e4a71a008b6930-2400/ap_16188860866316.jpg" alt="Colombia cocaine production" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd" data-mce-caption="In this January 7, 2016, photo, Gonzalo stirs a mix of mulched coca leaves and cement with gasoline, as part of the initial process to make coca paste, at a small makeshift lab in the mountain region of Antioquia, Colombia. Apart from gasoline and cement, ammonia, sulphuric acid, sodium permanganate, and caustic soda are some of the chemicals used to produce the paste." /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd</span></p><p class="caption">In this January 7, 2016, photo, a farmer stirs a mix of mulched coca leaves and cement with gasoline, as part of the initial process to make coca paste, at a small makeshift lab in Antioquia, Colombia. Apart from gasoline and cement, ammonia, sulphuric acid, sodium permanganate, and caustic soda are some of the chemicals used to produce the paste.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The spike in cocaine production seen in recent years may be a near-term one, spurred on by Colombia's reduced eradication efforts and by some farmers encouraged by the FARC <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-a-blow-to-us-policy-colombia-is-again-the-worlds-top-producer-of-coca/2015/11/10/316d2f66-7bf0-11e5-bfb6-65300a5ff562_story.html" target="_blank">to produce more</a> in order secure more government aid when the conflict finally concludes.</p><p>But the promise of increased market share for Colombia's many criminal groups, as well as the existential imperative some farmers feel to produce and sell coca, indicate that coca, and cocaine, will not soon disappear from a country emerging from a half-century of war.</p><p>"Even if the FARC is demobilized, the problem of violence and crime and drug trafficking in Colombia is not going to go away," Szterenfeld said.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/three-tons-cocaine-seized-pacific-ocean-ecuador-colombia-galapagos-islands-2015-12">Colombian authorities seized 3 tons of cocaine bound for the US hidden in a 'narco-submarine'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="A1bGJveTr1cwKHKCq0KhC7yxo-DZ_qrx" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'A1bGJveTr1cwKHKCq0KhC7yxo-DZ_qrx',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Colombia is about to end a 52-year war, but a bigger, tougher fight is looming

<p>Matching output to demand is hard with wind and solar power. The answer is to store surplus juice on the grid until it is needed</p>
<p>ON OCTOBER 28th a battery factory opened in Concord, North Carolina. That was good for an area which has seen dark economic times, but the event made few headlines. Perhaps it should have made more, though, for this factory's owner, Alevo, a Swiss company, is not in the business of manufacturing cells for torches, mobile phones or even laptop computers. Rather, it is making batteries that can store serious amounts of electricity--megawatt-hours of it. And it plans to sell them to power-grid operators.</p>
<p>To start with, the new batteries will be used to smooth the consequences of irregular demand through the day by absorbing electricity during troughs and regurgitating it during peaks. If that pans out, it will eliminate the need for gas-powered "peaker" stations which fire up quickly when needed, but are expensive to run. It would also allow non-peaker stations to operate more efficiently. Alevo reckons that if a grid as big as America's Western interconnection (which supplies the west of the United States and Canada) were to use 18GW-worth of its batteries the grid could save $12 billion a year. Though the company has no North American contract yet, it does have an agreement to deploy its batteries in Guangdong, China.</p>
<p>Smoothing the operation of existing grids, however, may be only the beginning. In the longer run, optimists believe, batteries like these, or some equivalent technology, are the key to dealing with the problem not just of irregular demand, but of irregular supply. As the unit cost of solar and wind energy drops ever closer to that of power from fossil fuels, the fact that the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine becomes more and more irksome. It is not just the great power-gap that is night which matters. As the chart below shows, even during the day--and even in deserts--the amount of sunlight can vary from minute to minute. And the wind, of course, is equally fickle.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cb1165f5bf-595-171/187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4-1.png" border="0" alt="187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4" style="font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Cheap grid-scale storage would overcome these irregularities. Renewables could then compete on cost alone. And there are many ideas for how to make this happen. Some, such as Alevo's, are ready to be sold. Others work in laboratories but have yet to be scaled up for use in the real world. Others still are little more than twinkles of varying plausibility in their inventors' eyes. But if even one of them is up to the task, then renewable energy may, at last, be able to stand on its own, rather than having to be subsidised and regulated into existence.</p>
<p>At the moment, grid-scale storage is dominated by pumped hydro. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, an American think-tank, 140GW-worth of this is installed around the world, with a capacity of 1.4TWhr. Pumped storage requires friendly geography. You need two reservoirs separated by a good gap of altitude. But it is then just a matter of linking them with pipes and using turbines that, if turned by falling water, generate electricity, but, when fed electricity, turn the other way to pump that water whence it came. Send it uphill when power is cheap, and let it flow down when there are spikes in demand, and you have a nice little business.</p>
<p>Not everywhere, though, has compliant hills and valleys. And pumped storage takes a long time, and a lot of money, to build. Technologies that start small, but can be scaled up as needed, are often a better answer.</p>
<h3>Batteries now included</h3>
<p>The immediate future of grid-scale storage, then, probably lies with real batteries rather than topographical ones. At least, Alevo thinks so. At full capacity, the firm's factory in Concord should be able to turn out 16.2GWhr-worth of them a year. And Alevo is not alone. Tesla is building an even bigger factory near Reno, Nevada (see "Brain scan: Tesla's electric man") to make batteries for its electric cars and for local and grid storage.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cf1965f5c1-290-353/b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c.png" border="0" alt="b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Several stations that use batteries to regulate the output of wind farms have already been built, or are under construction. In Sendai, Japan, Toshiba is creating one based on lithium-ion batteries. This should open in 2015. It will have a maximum power of 40MW, and will be able to run at that rate for half an hour. The Notrees Battery Storage Project, which opened in Texas in 2013, uses lead-acid batteries--sophisticated versions of the type found in petrol and diesel cars. It has a maximum power of 36MW and could run for 40 minutes at full tilt. Another Japanese project, of 34MW, in Rokkasho, uses sodium-sulphur batteries. And one in Alaska, of 27MW, uses nickel-cadmium ones.</p>
<p>As that list suggests, many types of grid-scale battery technology are available. Alevo uses electrodes made of lithium iron phosphate and graphite. These are connected by an inorganic sulphur-based electrolyte, a combination, the firm claims, that is particularly propitious because cycling between charged and discharged states produces only a 1°C change in the battery's temperature. This should eliminate the risk of overheating, to which some sorts of lithium-based cells are prone.</p>
<p>There are types of battery that actually require high temperatures to work. In sodium-sulphur cells of the sort deployed at Rokkasho both of those elements need to be liquid, meaning the battery has to be maintained at a temperature of 300-350°C. And an approach being developed by Donald Sadoway of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would use two sorts of liquid metal, separated by a liquid electrolyte. The clever thing about this design is that, by picking a dense metal such as a mixture of antimony and lead, a light one such as lithium, and an electrolyte whose density falls between the two, the three substances will float as separate layers in a container, rather as oil separates from vinegar in a salad dressing.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365aceab8eaf41d95b35b-290-408/a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9.png" border="0" alt="a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9" style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Despite their superficial differences, one thing all these batteries have in common is that the energy they contain is stored chemically within their electrodes. This has a consequence, at least for those with solid electrodes. The constant change in the electrodes' composition as they are charged and discharged gradually wears them out. This limited lifespan is one reason using batteries for grid-scale storage is still pricey. Indeed, Alevo's claim that its batteries can undergo more than 40,000 cycles of charging and discharging without noticeable loss of function is an important part of its sales pitch.</p>
<p>An alternative approach, known as a flow battery, does not suffer from this difficulty. A flow battery's energy is stored in its electrolytes (of which there are two, separated by a membrane), rather than its electrodes (see illustration 1). Not only does that stop the electrodes wearing out, it also means that there is no upper limit, based on the sizes of those electrodes, on how much energy such a battery can store. Its capacity depends instead on the size of the tanks used to hold the electrolytes.</p>
<p>Flow batteries are a much less developed technology than standard batteries, but they are beginning to become commercially available. Many of those on sale at the moment (by firms such as Gildemeister of Germany and UET of Washington state) use vanadium-based electrolytes. Vanadium is a good material because its multiple ionic states mean it can be used to store energy without having to involve other reagents, and thus complicate the design.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, vanadium is expensive. But systems that use cheaper materials are being developed. Several firms are trying zinc and bromine in electrolytes and others iron and chromium. Ideas still in the lab include flow batteries based on cheap organic compounds called anthraquinones. If these prove robust enough to commercialise, they will be strong competitors in the grid-scale storage market. But they will not be alone. For batteries are not the only route to the destination.</p>
<h3>Pumped up</h3>
<p>If the engineers at Gravity Power in Goleta, California, get their way, even pumped storage is in line for a makeover. Their approach, it should be said from the outset, is one of the most twinkly of the twinkling eyes in the field. Even if it ultimately fails it shows the originality of thought that is being brought to bear on the problem.</p>
<p>Instead of two large reservoirs at different altitudes on a hillside, Gravity Power proposes two water-filled cylindrical shafts--one wider than the other--dug into the ground (see illustration 2). The shafts will be linked top and bottom to form a circuit, with a combined pump-turbine, similar to the ones used in conventional pumped storage, in the upper link. The wider shaft will contain a huge cylinder, made either of the rock the shaft is cut through or of concrete, to act as a piston.</p>
<p>When the pump-turbine is opened, the piston sinks, driving water around the circuit and through the turbine, generating power. Spin the device the other way using electricity, and the reversed water flow pushes the piston up again.</p>
<p>How much energy this arrangement can store depends on how deep the shafts go. And that is where it gets tricky, for some serious civil engineering will be needed if the idea is to work. Gravity Power proposes the shafts descend hundreds of metres. This will require large thicknesses of suitable rock--in practice this will probably be limestone, which is soft enough to cut into--so deployment will be limited not so much by geography as geology. And making a good seal between piston and shaft will hardly be trivial. So it will be expensive. A unit 700 metres deep, with a main shaft 26 metres across and a return shaft (or penstock) of about a tenth of that, would cost $170m. It would, though, be able to store about 200MWhr of energy, with an output of 50MW. Building one that size is years away, but the firm hopes to start work in 2015 on a demonstration plant near Penzberg, in Germany, with a depth of 140 metres, a capacity of 500 kWhr and an output of 1MW.</p>
<p>Nor is Gravity Power's approach the only one to rely on underground spaces and friendly geology. Another is to fill a subterranean cavern with compressed air. For that, the cavern needs to be hermetically sealed and this means using an underground salt dome that has been hollowed out by solution mining (ie, the salt has been extracted with hot water).</p>
<p>Given such a cavern, compressed-air storage is a bit like classical pumped storage, except with a gas, rather than a liquid. Air is pumped into the cavern, increasing its pressure, and then let out to drive a turbine. But there is a catch: gases heat up when compressed and cool when they expand. For compressed-air storage to work, therefore, the air released from the cavern has to be heated (usually by burning natural gas), otherwise it would freeze the turbine. That makes compressed-air storage inefficient--one reason there are only two grid-scale examples of it in the world (one in Germany, the other in Alabama).</p>
<p>This would change if the heat of compression could be captured, stored and recycled. And that is the goal of LightSail Energy, a firm based in Berkeley, California. LightSail has developed a small, but still grid-scale, compressed-air system that sprays water into the compression chamber, to cool the air as its volume shrinks. The air is then stored in a set of tanks with a total volume of 42,000 litres, and the water, with its heat load, is put into two tanks that have, in total, about a quarter of the volume of the air tanks.</p>
<p>At the moment, this device can store 700kWhr of energy, but that should rise to 1.1MWhr when (as is the plan) it is pressurised to 300 atmospheres instead of the current 200. That is a fraction more than one of Alevo's battery packs, which store 1MWhr. For comparison, the Alabama salt dome can store 2.9GWhr.</p>
<p>If heat is to be stored at scale some inventors would prefer to simplify the process, get rid of the compressed air, and concentrate on sequestering the heat itself. Isentropic, a company in Fareham, Britain, plans to employ the compression and expansion of a gas (in this case, argon) to create heat and cold respectively in two large containers of gravel--one of the cheapest solid heat-storage media imaginable. Once again, a pump-turbine is involved. It does the compression and expansion when electricity is abundant, and when it is scarce the gas flow, and thus the heat flow and therefore the whole process, is reversed.</p>
<p>Nor are these ideas the end of the list. Several firms, from giants such as ABB of Zurich, to minnows such as Berkeley Energy Sciences, a neighbour of LightSail, are pushing giant flywheels as at least part of the answer. Another suggestion--for filling in the shortest irregularities in supply, those lasting a few seconds or minutes such as are caused by the passage of a cloud in front of the sun--is to use supercapacitors, which store electricity as an actual electric charge, rather than converting it into chemical or physical potential energy of a non-electric form. At the other end of the scale as far as the size of the gap in supply is concerned, namely the nocturnal hours when solar energy cannot operate, several research groups are trying to use molten salts (usually sodium and potassium nitrates) to store heat gathered during the day and then, at night, raise steam for generators with it.</p>
<p>And there is one further idea around that, though it relies on new storage technology being developed, does not rely on that technology being developed specifically for grid-scale storage. This is to use the fleet of electric cars that its proposers hope will take over from ones driven by internal-combustion engines over the course of the next couple of decades.</p>
<p>In the imaginations of such people, the batteries of these cars (which would, when idle, be attached to the grid in order to charge them), could be employed as a giant storage network, to be plundered with the car owners' permission at times of peak demand. It is an intriguing thought--but the overlap between those times and the times cars are most likely to be on the road might scupper it in practice. As might the answer to the question about how ubiquitous electric cars will actually become. For that will depend on the future success and affordability of batteries.</p>
<p>The path from startup to success is littered with corpses, and an awful lot of business models depend for their putative profit on what is, according to your point of view, either a subsidy or a factoring in of the economic externalities (in the form of climate change) imposed by fossil fuels. In particular, Germany's Energiewende and California's Renewable Energy Programme have, by requiring a large fraction of those jurisdictions' electricity to be renewable, helped fuel the boom.</p>
<h3>Your bill, sir</h3>
<p>The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity. But that is a hard sell, not least because of disagreements about those externalities' true size. In the meantime, it is better if grid-scale storage can be rolled out without taxpayer support.</p>
<p>That is the main reason for watching the example of Alevo. It says it can make money even in unsubsidised grids, because it has been ruthless about reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying the technology as far as possible.</p>
<p>This is a businesslike approach. If it works, and others prove able to mimic it, then the cost of running a grid, and thus the price of electricity, will fall. That alone will be a good thing. But success will change the very nature of such a grid, enabling it to absorb more wind and solar power even if this is a consequence unintended by the grid owners. How much more is yet unknown, for fossil fuels (particularly natural gas) are getting cheaper too. But renewables will no longer be fighting the battle with one hand tied behind their back.</p>
<p>The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity</p>
<p>Click <a href="https://subscriptions.economist.com/nwcd">here</a> to subscribe to The Economist</p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="https://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1lM2YyZjdjM2EyNzE3MzJiMTI1OTE3N2FmODU1OTA2NyZwdWJsaXNoZXI9NzMwZWI4NmFiNTlmMGQ0MTkyNmFjNjViMDFmODNlMmY=" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>

We've Almost Solved the Biggest Problem With Solar And Wind

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5483681769bedd181b047d2d-1200-924/solar-tracker-panels-champlain-valley-west-haven-vermon.jpg" border="0" alt="Solar tracker panels Champlain Valley West Haven, Vermon"><p class="source"><span>Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Solar tracker panels follow the sun's path May 17, 2014 on a Champlain Valley dairy farm near West Haven, Vermont.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Matching output to demand is hard with wind and solar power. The answer is to store surplus juice on the grid until it is needed</p>
<p>ON OCTOBER 28th a battery factory opened in Concord, North Carolina. That was good for an area which has seen dark economic times, but the event made few headlines. Perhaps it should have made more, though, for this factory's owner, Alevo, a Swiss company, is not in the business of manufacturing cells for torches, mobile phones or even laptop computers. Rather, it is making batteries that can store serious amounts of electricity--megawatt-hours of it. And it plans to sell them to power-grid operators.</p>
<p>To start with, the new batteries will be used to smooth the consequences of irregular demand through the day by absorbing electricity during troughs and regurgitating it during peaks. If that pans out, it will eliminate the need for gas-powered "peaker" stations which fire up quickly when needed, but are expensive to run. It would also allow non-peaker stations to operate more efficiently. Alevo reckons that if a grid as big as America's Western interconnection (which supplies the west of the United States and Canada) were to use 18GW-worth of its batteries the grid could save $12 billion a year. Though the company has no North American contract yet, it does have an agreement to deploy its batteries in Guangdong, China.</p>
<p>Smoothing the operation of existing grids, however, may be only the beginning. In the longer run, optimists believe, batteries like these, or some equivalent technology, are the key to dealing with the problem not just of irregular demand, but of irregular supply. As the unit cost of solar and wind energy drops ever closer to that of power from fossil fuels, the fact that the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine becomes more and more irksome. It is not just the great power-gap that is night which matters. As the chart below shows, even during the day--and even in deserts--the amount of sunlight can vary from minute to minute. And the wind, of course, is equally fickle.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cb1165f5bf-595-171/187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4-1.png" border="0" alt="187ddc969b2d3a3352f6c66c136746e4" style="font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Cheap grid-scale storage would overcome these irregularities. Renewables could then compete on cost alone. And there are many ideas for how to make this happen. Some, such as Alevo's, are ready to be sold. Others work in laboratories but have yet to be scaled up for use in the real world. Others still are little more than twinkles of varying plausibility in their inventors' eyes. But if even one of them is up to the task, then renewable energy may, at last, be able to stand on its own, rather than having to be subsidised and regulated into existence.</p>
<p>At the moment, grid-scale storage is dominated by pumped hydro. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, an American think-tank, 140GW-worth of this is installed around the world, with a capacity of 1.4TWhr. Pumped storage requires friendly geography. You need two reservoirs separated by a good gap of altitude. But it is then just a matter of linking them with pipes and using turbines that, if turned by falling water, generate electricity, but, when fed electricity, turn the other way to pump that water whence it came. Send it uphill when power is cheap, and let it flow down when there are spikes in demand, and you have a nice little business.</p>
<p>Not everywhere, though, has compliant hills and valleys. And pumped storage takes a long time, and a lot of money, to build. Technologies that start small, but can be scaled up as needed, are often a better answer.</p>
<h3>Batteries now included</h3>
<p>The immediate future of grid-scale storage, then, probably lies with real batteries rather than topographical ones. At least, Alevo thinks so. At full capacity, the firm's factory in Concord should be able to turn out 16.2GWhr-worth of them a year. And Alevo is not alone. Tesla is building an even bigger factory near Reno, Nevada (see "Brain scan: Tesla's electric man") to make batteries for its electric cars and for local and grid storage.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365acecad04cf1965f5c1-290-353/b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c.png" border="0" alt="b891bc5b2d94ef6e81654eea51291f8c"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Several stations that use batteries to regulate the output of wind farms have already been built, or are under construction. In Sendai, Japan, Toshiba is creating one based on lithium-ion batteries. This should open in 2015. It will have a maximum power of 40MW, and will be able to run at that rate for half an hour. The Notrees Battery Storage Project, which opened in Texas in 2013, uses lead-acid batteries--sophisticated versions of the type found in petrol and diesel cars. It has a maximum power of 36MW and could run for 40 minutes at full tilt. Another Japanese project, of 34MW, in Rokkasho, uses sodium-sulphur batteries. And one in Alaska, of 27MW, uses nickel-cadmium ones.</p>
<p>As that list suggests, many types of grid-scale battery technology are available. Alevo uses electrodes made of lithium iron phosphate and graphite. These are connected by an inorganic sulphur-based electrolyte, a combination, the firm claims, that is particularly propitious because cycling between charged and discharged states produces only a 1°C change in the battery's temperature. This should eliminate the risk of overheating, to which some sorts of lithium-based cells are prone.</p>
<p>There are types of battery that actually require high temperatures to work. In sodium-sulphur cells of the sort deployed at Rokkasho both of those elements need to be liquid, meaning the battery has to be maintained at a temperature of 300-350°C. And an approach being developed by Donald Sadoway of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would use two sorts of liquid metal, separated by a liquid electrolyte. The clever thing about this design is that, by picking a dense metal such as a mixture of antimony and lead, a light one such as lithium, and an electrolyte whose density falls between the two, the three substances will float as separate layers in a container, rather as oil separates from vinegar in a salad dressing.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/548365aceab8eaf41d95b35b-290-408/a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9.png" border="0" alt="a113696cee6b4dc80d3262502ab279f9" style="color: #000000; font-size: 15px;"><p class="source"><span>The Economist</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Despite their superficial differences, one thing all these batteries have in common is that the energy they contain is stored chemically within their electrodes. This has a consequence, at least for those with solid electrodes. The constant change in the electrodes' composition as they are charged and discharged gradually wears them out. This limited lifespan is one reason using batteries for grid-scale storage is still pricey. Indeed, Alevo's claim that its batteries can undergo more than 40,000 cycles of charging and discharging without noticeable loss of function is an important part of its sales pitch.</p>
<p>An alternative approach, known as a flow battery, does not suffer from this difficulty. A flow battery's energy is stored in its electrolytes (of which there are two, separated by a membrane), rather than its electrodes (see illustration 1). Not only does that stop the electrodes wearing out, it also means that there is no upper limit, based on the sizes of those electrodes, on how much energy such a battery can store. Its capacity depends instead on the size of the tanks used to hold the electrolytes.</p>
<p>Flow batteries are a much less developed technology than standard batteries, but they are beginning to become commercially available. Many of those on sale at the moment (by firms such as Gildemeister of Germany and UET of Washington state) use vanadium-based electrolytes. Vanadium is a good material because its multiple ionic states mean it can be used to store energy without having to involve other reagents, and thus complicate the design.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, vanadium is expensive. But systems that use cheaper materials are being developed. Several firms are trying zinc and bromine in electrolytes and others iron and chromium. Ideas still in the lab include flow batteries based on cheap organic compounds called anthraquinones. If these prove robust enough to commercialise, they will be strong competitors in the grid-scale storage market. But they will not be alone. For batteries are not the only route to the destination.</p>
<h3>Pumped up</h3>
<p>If the engineers at Gravity Power in Goleta, California, get their way, even pumped storage is in line for a makeover. Their approach, it should be said from the outset, is one of the most twinkly of the twinkling eyes in the field. Even if it ultimately fails it shows the originality of thought that is being brought to bear on the problem.</p>
<p>Instead of two large reservoirs at different altitudes on a hillside, Gravity Power proposes two water-filled cylindrical shafts--one wider than the other--dug into the ground (see illustration 2). The shafts will be linked top and bottom to form a circuit, with a combined pump-turbine, similar to the ones used in conventional pumped storage, in the upper link. The wider shaft will contain a huge cylinder, made either of the rock the shaft is cut through or of concrete, to act as a piston.</p>
<p>When the pump-turbine is opened, the piston sinks, driving water around the circuit and through the turbine, generating power. Spin the device the other way using electricity, and the reversed water flow pushes the piston up again.</p>
<p>How much energy this arrangement can store depends on how deep the shafts go. And that is where it gets tricky, for some serious civil engineering will be needed if the idea is to work. Gravity Power proposes the shafts descend hundreds of metres. This will require large thicknesses of suitable rock--in practice this will probably be limestone, which is soft enough to cut into--so deployment will be limited not so much by geography as geology. And making a good seal between piston and shaft will hardly be trivial. So it will be expensive. A unit 700 metres deep, with a main shaft 26 metres across and a return shaft (or penstock) of about a tenth of that, would cost $170m. It would, though, be able to store about 200MWhr of energy, with an output of 50MW. Building one that size is years away, but the firm hopes to start work in 2015 on a demonstration plant near Penzberg, in Germany, with a depth of 140 metres, a capacity of 500 kWhr and an output of 1MW.</p>
<p>Nor is Gravity Power's approach the only one to rely on underground spaces and friendly geology. Another is to fill a subterranean cavern with compressed air. For that, the cavern needs to be hermetically sealed and this means using an underground salt dome that has been hollowed out by solution mining (ie, the salt has been extracted with hot water).</p>
<p>Given such a cavern, compressed-air storage is a bit like classical pumped storage, except with a gas, rather than a liquid. Air is pumped into the cavern, increasing its pressure, and then let out to drive a turbine. But there is a catch: gases heat up when compressed and cool when they expand. For compressed-air storage to work, therefore, the air released from the cavern has to be heated (usually by burning natural gas), otherwise it would freeze the turbine. That makes compressed-air storage inefficient--one reason there are only two grid-scale examples of it in the world (one in Germany, the other in Alabama).</p>
<p>This would change if the heat of compression could be captured, stored and recycled. And that is the goal of LightSail Energy, a firm based in Berkeley, California. LightSail has developed a small, but still grid-scale, compressed-air system that sprays water into the compression chamber, to cool the air as its volume shrinks. The air is then stored in a set of tanks with a total volume of 42,000 litres, and the water, with its heat load, is put into two tanks that have, in total, about a quarter of the volume of the air tanks.</p>
<p>At the moment, this device can store 700kWhr of energy, but that should rise to 1.1MWhr when (as is the plan) it is pressurised to 300 atmospheres instead of the current 200. That is a fraction more than one of Alevo's battery packs, which store 1MWhr. For comparison, the Alabama salt dome can store 2.9GWhr.</p>
<p>If heat is to be stored at scale some inventors would prefer to simplify the process, get rid of the compressed air, and concentrate on sequestering the heat itself. Isentropic, a company in Fareham, Britain, plans to employ the compression and expansion of a gas (in this case, argon) to create heat and cold respectively in two large containers of gravel--one of the cheapest solid heat-storage media imaginable. Once again, a pump-turbine is involved. It does the compression and expansion when electricity is abundant, and when it is scarce the gas flow, and thus the heat flow and therefore the whole process, is reversed.</p>
<p>Nor are these ideas the end of the list. Several firms, from giants such as ABB of Zurich, to minnows such as Berkeley Energy Sciences, a neighbour of LightSail, are pushing giant flywheels as at least part of the answer. Another suggestion--for filling in the shortest irregularities in supply, those lasting a few seconds or minutes such as are caused by the passage of a cloud in front of the sun--is to use supercapacitors, which store electricity as an actual electric charge, rather than converting it into chemical or physical potential energy of a non-electric form. At the other end of the scale as far as the size of the gap in supply is concerned, namely the nocturnal hours when solar energy cannot operate, several research groups are trying to use molten salts (usually sodium and potassium nitrates) to store heat gathered during the day and then, at night, raise steam for generators with it.</p>
<p>And there is one further idea around that, though it relies on new storage technology being developed, does not rely on that technology being developed specifically for grid-scale storage. This is to use the fleet of electric cars that its proposers hope will take over from ones driven by internal-combustion engines over the course of the next couple of decades.</p>
<p>In the imaginations of such people, the batteries of these cars (which would, when idle, be attached to the grid in order to charge them), could be employed as a giant storage network, to be plundered with the car owners' permission at times of peak demand. It is an intriguing thought--but the overlap between those times and the times cars are most likely to be on the road might scupper it in practice. As might the answer to the question about how ubiquitous electric cars will actually become. For that will depend on the future success and affordability of batteries.</p>
<p>The path from startup to success is littered with corpses, and an awful lot of business models depend for their putative profit on what is, according to your point of view, either a subsidy or a factoring in of the economic externalities (in the form of climate change) imposed by fossil fuels. In particular, Germany's Energiewende and California's Renewable Energy Programme have, by requiring a large fraction of those jurisdictions' electricity to be renewable, helped fuel the boom.</p>
<h3>Your bill, sir</h3>
<p>The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity. But that is a hard sell, not least because of disagreements about those externalities' true size. In the meantime, it is better if grid-scale storage can be rolled out without taxpayer support.</p>
<p>That is the main reason for watching the example of Alevo. It says it can make money even in unsubsidised grids, because it has been ruthless about reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying the technology as far as possible.</p>
<p>This is a businesslike approach. If it works, and others prove able to mimic it, then the cost of running a grid, and thus the price of electricity, will fall. That alone will be a good thing. But success will change the very nature of such a grid, enabling it to absorb more wind and solar power even if this is a consequence unintended by the grid owners. How much more is yet unknown, for fossil fuels (particularly natural gas) are getting cheaper too. But renewables will no longer be fighting the battle with one hand tied behind their back.</p>
<p><br id="__tmp">The world would no doubt be a better place if the externalities imposed by fossil fuels were properly accounted for in the price of electricity</br></p>
<p>Click <a href="https://subscriptions.economist.com/nwcd">here</a> to subscribe to The Economist</p>
<p><img class="nc_pixel" src="https://pixel.newscred.com/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1lM2YyZjdjM2EyNzE3MzJiMTI1OTE3N2FmODU1OTA2NyZwdWJsaXNoZXI9NzMwZWI4NmFiNTlmMGQ0MTkyNmFjNjViMDFmODNlMmY=" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></p>

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