Floating islands offer real sea change

(HOLLAND)

A Dutch research institute has been testing a floating mega-islands concept that could support the development of renewable energy projects in the future.

The Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) tested the large interconnected floating triangles this month at its ‘offshore basin’ facility, which can simulate wind, waves and currents at scale. The mega-islands could be used for a variety of applications, including as a place to cultivate fish, build houses or process cargo.

Olaf Waals, project manager and the concept developer, said: “As sea level rises, cities become overcrowded and more activities are carried out at sea, raising the dikes and reclaiming land from the seas are perhaps no longer an effective solution. An innovative alternative that fits with the Dutch maritime tradition is floating ports and cities.”