Earth 300: what the nuclear-powered mega-ship, called “the Eiffel Tower of our generation” will look like

A nuclear-powered ship filled with scientists, activists and billionaires, traveling the world and examining the state of the oceans. It’s the entrepreneur’s dream Aaron Olivera, who believes the new ship will help increase environmental awareness.

The boat, called Earth 300, It was designed by superyacht specialist Ivan Salas Jefferson. With nearly 300 meters long and 60 meters high, it will be able to accommodate 425 people. Most of them will be scientific staff and students, who will travel for free. A handful of wealthy tourists, staying in luxury suites, they will pay $ 3 million each for a 10-day trip, which will help make the business profitable.

At a launch dinner in Singapore, Olivera spoke quickly and enthusiastically about her dream, mixing the names of businessmen and politicians with emotional phrases about saving the environment, inspiring young people. and the promotion of science. He wants Earth 300 to be a global architectural icon that encourages people to think more seriously about the weather. The modernist design, clean lines, cantilevered observation deck and 13-story glass “science sphere” are sure to be admired.

“We wanted the sphere to inspire everyone who looks at it to save the planet”, Olivera was quoted by Bloomberg at a restaurant that was once the ticket office for ferries to Singapore’s outer islands. “Imagine if we could build something that would galvanize people all over the planet.” He calls the boat “The Eiffel Tower of our generation.” Beyond the extravagance, there is still a long way to go for the ship to become reality..

It took six years and $ 5 million to get there, where the design is advanced enough to take it to the shipyards for construction quotes. Olivera said the group is considering shipyards in Europe and South Korea. Earth 300 executives estimate the total cost to be between $ 500 million and $ 700 million. Part of the high price would be zero emissions, thanks to an atomic power station developed by the British company Core Power, which is developing a molten salt reactor on board a ship, a technology led by the US nuclear company TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates.

With the ship set to launch in 2025 and certification of the reactor not expected for five to seven years, the ship will likely initially run on synthetic green fuels. Atomic propulsion can also create problems with countries like New Zealand, which has banned the docking of nuclear-powered ships since 1984.

Olivera wants the first boat trip to be a world tour of Antarctica, followed by a trip through the Arctic. The ship would be designed to operate 300 days a year, generating around $ 100 million from wealthy eco-tourists, with additional income coming from hosting events or movie sets, he said.

Those paying for the 10 luxury suites with private balconies will also benefit from staff accommodation in a separate set of cabins. 10 other suites would be available for what Olivera calls very interesting people: people from all walks of life who would bring unique experience or knowledge to the trip.

Olivera plans to invite artists, explorers and students to spend time on the ship, rubbing shoulders with billionaires, but paying a lower rate or even traveling for free. With them, working in 22 laboratories, There would be around 160 scientists, who would conduct research and collect data using the ship’s equipment and thousands of onboard sensors, including what could be the first commercial quantum computer at sea.. Olivera said the project will be “open source,” with processing and information facilities shared with other climate research efforts around the world.

At the dinner in Singapore, Olivera brought together a number of scientists and environmentalists via video links to express their support for the company. He says he has an interest from wealthy private sponsors and that most of the funding for the project would be obtained through traditional financial instruments.

Olivera isn’t intimidated by the long list of challenges. He said the business plan had been tested by KPMG LLP and that 80% of the profits will be allocated to environmental causes. His priority is for the project to be “inspiring”, he said. “The future of humanity lies in ambitious projects like this one.”

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