A group of French architecture students have proposed generating energy from the fresh water melting from icebergs and use it to grow fruit and vegetables within these huge masses of ice. The resulting produce would supply Greenland's market, which currently has to import almost everything its population requires.
"The project, called Arctic Harvester, is based on the idea that icebergs are rich ecosystems, oasis, and that produce shortage problems could be solved," explained one of the initiative's promoters, Meriem Chabani.
The fresh water from icebergs could be used in hydroponic greenhouses to grow fruits and vegetables that would then be shipped to coastal cities. "The central area would be an 'agricultural city'; the heart of the harvesting process and the core for the production of sustainable energy, as well as an ice garden, offering social spaces and public floating greenhouses for the people to use," explained the student.
The project will also have space for 800 people. In this sense, Chabani said that the goal is to "explore the limits of this hydroponic plantation, not only for agriculture, but also for research and the production of clean energy."
To this end, solar panels would be used during the long summer days to supply energy to both plants and people. An osmotic system generating energy from a mix of fresh and sea water could supply the rest of the energy required.
Icebergs move, and the structure would thus move with them. Although the idea was originally just a university project, the team has started working with the company Polarisk Analytics, which will help turn it into a reality. At the moment, designers are seeking funding to build small-scale prototypes.
Source: antena3.com