Arctic Harvester - Floating Hydroponic Farm
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Academic
French Designers Have Come up with an Innovative Solution to Greenland's Rising Sea Levels with a Hydroponic Greenhouse
Icebergs are melting at alarming speeds, ultimatelyraising sea levels. In areas such as Greenland, which is surrounded by glaciers, farmers have a difficult time growing fruits and vegetables.
A team of French architects conceived an idea that will create an opportunity for arctic farmers. Arctic Harvester, a C-shaped vessel, may change the lives of those who inhabit Greenland.
Meriem Chabani, an architecture student from France, discovered that Greenland's most plentiful natural resource, the iceberg, is a rich source of nutrients.
"This nutrient-rich water becomes the starting point of our equipment," the designers wrote in aproposal.
The water is ideal for hydroponic agriculture, according to the architects, which include Etienne Chobaux, John Edom of Graal Architecture and Maeva Leneveu of design firm Lambert Lenack.
"We intend to put up these large agricultural structures to draw water from icebergs, and, thus, it is the ocean, not the land, which becomes our production fields," the team wrote.
Arctic Harvester is a work in progress as the designers collaborate with consulting firms to determine the feasibility of the project.
How Arctic Harvester works
The soil-free agricultural method involves collecting small icebergs from the surrounding area and transferring them into a 150-meter-deep inner bay to melt. The water is then moved to the hydroponic greenhouse and then to the osmotic energy plant where it is retained as a renewable resource.
Iceberg water could then be used to feed the growing infrastructure in a hydroponic greenhouse. These naturally grown products can be sold to people on the coast who outsource fruits and vegetables. The water can also be used for drinking water and as a power source, according to the vessel's blueprints. The designers have also allocated space for recreation inside the bay, such as kayaking.
A combination of salt water from the sea and freshwater from icebergs creates heat and energy because of the diffusion of salt between the liquids. The energy is then used to create electricity for Arctic Harvester, keeping it sustainable. The vessel also plans to incorporate solar panels to create even more reusable energy.
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