(China, 29th) The 'Offshore Floating Island' deep-sea, all-weather floating research facility project, undertaken by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, officially began construction in Shanghai on the 28th.
According to China Central Television (CCTV) news reports, this major national scientific and technological infrastructure is the world’s first ultra-large-scale offshore research platform. It can simultaneously support research needs in the fields of marine equipment, marine resources, and marine science, and is also referred to as the 'Offshore Floating Island.'
The 'Offshore Floating Island' large-scale scientific installation includes three major systems: the main facility platform, onboard laboratories, and shore-based support.
According to reports, the main facility platform system innovatively adopts a 'semi-submersible twin-hull' ship design, with the capability of full-scale sea trials of large deep-sea equipment up to 100 tons, and can support exploration and experimental research in ocean depths of up to 10,000 meters.
The 'Offshore Floating Island' is expected to be completed by 2030, and will be able to simultaneously meet China's research needs in the fields of marine equipment, marine resources, and marine sciences. It will provide a real-sea trial platform for deep-sea mining systems, key maritime supporting equipment, and marine oil and gas facilities; accelerate the commercial development and utilization of marine resources; reveal the seasonal evolution of marine ecosystems; explore the mysteries of the origin and evolution of life; and is also expected to further improve typhoon forecasting accuracy and enhance disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities.