China’s massive maritime science infrastructure – an aircraft carrier-sized floating artificial island – has officially entered its engineering construction phase.
On October 18, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), the facility’s lead developer, signed a construction contract worth over 2.7 billion yuan (US$405 million) with a shipbuilder under China State Shipbuilding Corporation, according to local media reports.
The semi-submersible twin-hull platform is the world’s first mobile, self-sustaining artificial island and is expected to be fully completed and delivered by June 2030, news outlet Shanghai Observer reported on October 21.