[avanai]

They compare its cost effectiveness to lithium electrochemical storage batteries, but it seems much more apt to compare it to large-scale flow batteries, which also use relatively cheap, easily available materials. How does it compare to those?

[marcosdumay]

It's more apt to compare it to phase change heat storage. What somehow doesn't appear anywhere on the article.

(I do believe the article's design fares much worse, even on capex alone. I never saw some salt selection that melts at 600°C, but I imagine it would have better results even in a lower temperature.)

[Schroedingersat]

Vanadium flow batteries are about half but will not stay that way if scaled (vanadium production is too limited).

Iron flow is currently 'it will be dirt cheap later we swear, ask us about a demo project'. So probably substantially more expensive. No compelling reason not to believe them though.

[Schroedingersat]

This was wrong. Vanadium electrolyte is only 1-2 molar. Vanadium production on the order of current generation can support ~100GWh/yr