Space@Sea to “revolutionise” floating islands

Horizon 2020 project Space@Sea is taking the next step of creating a floating island for various marine applications.

The consortium of 17 European partners aims to provide a sustainable and affordable workspace at sea by developing a standardised and cost-efficient modular island with low ecological impact.

Offshore specialists will contribute to design a shared mooring solution in combination with a remote monitoring and sensing system to reduce installation and maintenance costs. 

“The three-year project can be regarded as a success if the modular design of the multi-use platform has successfully been validated in a relevant environment at model scale”, said project coordinator Maarten Flikkema from Marin.   

Space@Sea will study the most suitable shape of the floaters to minimise motion.

Triangles will be used initially to allow for a modular design, maximising the flexibility to add and remove deck space and applications if necessary, Mr Flikkema said.

Four applications will be studied for Space@Sea – farming, a transport and logistics hub, an energy hub, and an accommodation platform.

To show the potential of multi-use modular floating islands, Space@Sea will evaluate three business cases with combinations of applications for various locations throughout Europe.