Work on the creation of the world's first man-made floating island, working as a source of alternative energy, is successfully taking place in the sands of the emirate Ras Al-Kheima. The creation of a prototype of the future island, 90 meters in diameter, worth US $ 5 million, began in November 2007 in the desert region of Al Jazeera Al Hamra in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. By the end of this year, it is planned to be commissioned. Based on the results of the prototype, a decision will be made to create a full-fledged floating solar power station. Also, on the basis of its testing, they will determine the final product - the production of hydrogen or electricity. The unique concept is led by the Swiss research company Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, Inc (CSEM) and is fully funded by the government of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
Working on the principle of a thermal solar collector, a giant floating plate of the island will not collect the sun's rays due to the usual photovoltaic cells, but direct them through rows of mirrors to the water pipeline. Further, due to the energy of the sun, water will heat up to a state of steam, which is then redirected to the central turbine.
The prototype will be placed on the surface of the pool with a depth of 1 meter. The full version of the island will be able to work, swimming both in deep waters, near the shore, as well as on the shore, in the desert. "For a competent fence of large volumes of sunshine, significant expanses of absolutely flat space are needed to avoid shadows," the developer’s representative commented on the island’s concept, "many countries do not have such opportunities, and the Emirates have sea, there are immense sands."
The island-power plant itself will be created on the basis of a steel pipe closed in a ring, the empty space inside which will be closed by a sealed polymer membrane, responsible for keeping the island afloat. From afar it will seem that it soars above the expanse of the sea. Also, thanks to the design, the island will be able to rotate after the movement of the sun. The project, which received the full support of the ruler of the emirate Ras al-Khaimah, promises to benefit not only the Emirates, but also other countries in the development of alternative energy sources.
