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The Netherlands tests artificial floating islands to expand amount of liveable space

1,837 views · Published 19 August 2017 · 0:34 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: News Direct · 2017 · News & Politics

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The Maritime Research Institute Netherlands is testing a concept of building artificial floating islands to expand the amount liveable space available for the country’s growing population.

The island is made up of large floating triangles that connect to each other in a flexible fashion. It could measure 5 km wide.

“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,” Olaf Waals, project manager of MARIN's floating islands told New Atlas. 

The floating space could be used for housing and public infrastructures and support renewable energy systems such as wind and solar energy farms.

 It is still unknown how the floating mega structure could withstand winds and currents and how does living on the island affect the people. Researchers admit the technological challenges to this project are enormous.
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The Netherlands tests artificial floating islands to expand amount of liveable space

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