China is going to build the world's first floating island

The platform will be used by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, while the design and construction will be undertaken by the shipbuilding company Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, which is part of the world's largest shipbuilding corporation, China State Shipbuilding Corporation. In September, the company won the tender for the project, offering 2.76 billion yuan — more than 413 million dollars.

The platform is set to become the world's first floating artificial island designed for long-term scientific research in the open sea under all weather conditions. It will be engineered to operate in harsh environments, withstand powerful storms and typhoons, and provide for the extended stay of people at sea. Among its key features are high stability, large carrying capacity, and the ability for rapid relocation.

The structure will feature two semi-submersible hulls. Its maximum displacement will be about 74 thousand tons, and up to 238 people will be able to be on board simultaneously. The platform will be capable of operating in sea states up to seven points and, according to stated characteristics, withstand typhoons with a force of up to 17 points.

Chinese researcher Usha Haley, a professor at Wichita State University who studies international corporate activity and strategic management, noted that the engineering concept itself is not entirely new. Semi-submersible platforms with two hulls have been used in the oil and gas industry for decades. However, the scale of the project, the duration of its autonomous operation, and its scientific objectives truly have no prior analogues.

According to her, the platform will be able to move independently and remain in one place for about four months, with up to 238 people on board. Heavy equipment will be able to be lowered through a special shaft in the hull to a depth of about six thousand meters. The complex is planned to be used for testing equipment designed for deep-sea mining of minerals and obtaining energy in the open sea.

Construction is expected to begin in 2028, and the project is to be completed and the platform handed over to the client by June 2030.

Usha Haley believes that the project aligns with the peculiarities of the Chinese model of state capitalism, which relies on large-scale investments and proven technologies, rather than necessarily radical scientific discoveries. China is the world's largest energy consumer and imports about half of its required natural gas. Therefore, creating its own base for testing deep-sea mining and marine energy technologies could strengthen the country's energy security.

The project is also among the major scientific and infrastructural initiatives envisioned by China's 14th Five-Year Plan, adopted in 2021. This plan outlines the main directions for the country's economic and social development and long-term goals up to 2035.

At the same time, the researcher urges caution regarding the stated timelines and capabilities of the project. According to her, China's technological gap with the US is indeed narrowing in some areas. In particular, Chinese state-owned companies have already learned to independently develop deep shale deposits, using technologies they previously mastered through cooperation with American partners.

However, announced state plans do not always translate into real results. China did not meet its shale gas extraction targets for 2020 and 2030, and its current production remains below five percent of the American level.

Furthermore, the floating platform project has so far only been tested on a model in Shanghai Jiao Tong University's test basin, not under real marine conditions. Therefore, the professor suggests that the announced completion date of 2030 should be viewed more as a plan than a guaranteed outcome.

Haley draws particular attention to the possible long-term consequences of the project. In her opinion, the main risk is not so much related to industrial espionage as to China potentially becoming the main center for testing and developing deep-sea mining technologies.

If the floating platform becomes an international testing base, equipment manufacturers will orient themselves towards the conditions and technical requirements set by China. Thus, the country will be able to influence the direction of development of the entire industry, even if research and development are carried out with the participation of foreign companies.

The researcher cited the results of a survey of American shale industry specialists. 84% of respondents mistakenly believed that the US retained leadership in technological innovations, and only 8% named China as the leader. At the same time, two-thirds of respondents acknowledged that Chinese investments helped develop products tailored to the needs of the local market.

According to Haley, observers underestimated the pace of China's technological development. She also noted that direct Chinese investments in the US had decreased by 90% compared to the peak level of 2016. Therefore, opportunities to adopt American technologies through investments have largely disappeared.

In the professor's opinion, the new floating platform signifies China's transition to creating its own base for testing and developing marine technologies. Now, key questions will be who gains access to its capabilities, under what conditions this will occur, and how the collection and use of data on the seabed and water column will be regulated. Such data can have both civilian and military applications.

Previously, according to her assessment, China gained access to American technologies and testing grounds through investments and cooperation. Now, however, it aims to create its own infrastructure and invite other countries to develop technologies considering its own conditions and priorities.

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