Build a saltwater battery
Clean Power

© Lead Image © Nelli Valova, 123RF.com
Rechargeable lithium batteries are expensive, and manufacturing them damages the environment. Saltwater batteries offer a cheaper and greener approach to storing energy.
The supply of lithium is finite, mining lithium pollutes the environment, and the batteries are expensive. None of this applies to saltwater batteries. Common household utensils are all you need to build one for yourself.
Energy turnaround and environmental benefits are some of today's central topics. However, it is not just a matter of making energy production more green but of looking at all aspects of the energy industry. It makes no sense to store clean solar power in lithium-ion batteries if producing them causes massive environmental damage. Recycling these batteries is also problematic. For stationary use, the saltwater battery offers a truly ecological alternative.
Everyone is shaped by their knowledge and experiences. When I first heard about storing energy in saltwater batteries, my first thought was: That can't possibly work. What about the electrochemical voltage series and the anode and cathode made of the same material? No, that's really impossible. A simple experimental setup quickly shed light on the matter. Spoiler alert: It worked!
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.
-
EndeavorOS Mercury Neo Available
A new release from the EndeavorOS team ships with Plasma 6.3 and other goodies.
-
Fedora 42 Beta Has Arrived
The Fedora Project has announced the availability of the first beta release for version 42 of the open-source distribution.
-
Dash to Panel Maintainer Quits
Charles Gagnon has stepped away as maintainer of the popular Dash to Panel Gnome extension.
-
CIQ Releases Security-Hardened Version of Rocky Linux
If you're looking for an enterprise-grade Linux distribution that is hardened for business use, there's a new version of Rocky Linux that's sure to make you and your company happy.
-
Gnome’s Dash to Panel Extension Gets a Massive Update
If you're a fan of the Gnome Dash to Panel extension, you'll be thrilled to hear that a new version has been released with a dock mode.
-
Blender App Makes it to the Big Screen
The animated film "Flow" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards held on March 2, 2025 and Blender was a part of it.
-
Linux Mint Retools the Cinnamon App Launcher
The developers of Linux Mint are working on an improved Cinnamon App Launcher with a better, more accessible UI.
-
New Linux Tool for Security Issues
Seal Security is launching a new solution to automate fixing Linux vulnerabilities.