Experts have named the possible targets of a giant floating island in China

A Chinese research platform with a displacement of about 74,000 tons can become a base for testing technologies for the development of ocean floor resources. This possibility was allowed by experts of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), writes “Science Mail”.

According to Alexey Kiryanov, Deputy Director of the FEFU Polytechnic Institute, modern research vessels already have equipment for studying marine biology, geology and oceanology and use underwater vehicles. Therefore, the construction of a much larger structure raises the question of additional tasks that it can solve.

One of the possible directions of the expert called the development of deep-sea mineral resources. A large floating base could serve as a platform for testing equipment and testing technologies for working on the ocean floor. However, the officially stated objectives of the platform do not allow us to say that mining will be its main purpose.

Of interest to industry are, in particular, ferromanganese nodules - mineral formations on the seabed. In addition to manganese and iron, they can contain nickel, cobalt, copper and other valuable components. One of the most famous areas of their distribution is the Clarion-Clipperton zone in the Pacific Ocean.

Specialized underwater vehicles, navigation, communication and data transmission systems are needed for the exploration and possible extraction of such resources. Kiryanov noted that for the interaction of equipment at the bottom with a floating platform, hydroacoustic technologies that use sound waves in water may be required.

Professor of the FEFU Polytechnic Institute Alexander Becker believes that modern engineering technologies allow building such structures, although it requires significant costs. Among the main technical difficulties, he called holding a massive platform in a given area of the ocean and ensuring its manageability.

That China has begun construction of a semi-submersible double-hull platform, the South China Morning Post reported on October 28. According to the newspaper, the project has moved to the stage of engineering construction, the facility is planned to be completed and commissioned by June 2030. The lead developer is Shanghai Jiaotong University.

The platform will house six laboratories, it can accommodate 238 people and stay at sea for up to four months without refueling. The estimated speed of movement will be about 11 knots, or 20 km / h. The maximum displacement will be comparable to the displacement of the aircraft carrier.

The new design should solve the problem of stability of research vessels for deep-sea and long-distance expeditions. Conventional ships find it difficult to stay in place in storm winds and large waves, while the platform is expected to be used for long-term operation in the open ocean.

The project was included in the list of major scientific infrastructure projects of the 14th Five-Year Plan of China. According to Chinese media, on October 18, the university signed a contract worth more than 2.7 billion yuan with a shipbuilding enterprise, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.