The Korean Government is to develop the largest maritime engineering aquarium in the world for deep-sea research purposes, such as simulation experiments for the construction of maritime plants.
The joint investment of public and private sector plans to build the marine engineering aquarium by 2016, which will create the perfect deep-sea environment for core designing technology research.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the city of Busan hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the project on February 13.
The Busan city government in collaboration with Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) and heavy industry giants such as Hyundai, Samsung and Daewoo, will develop a 100-meter long, 50-meter wide and 15-meter deep aquarium in which an artificial deep-sea environment will be created for maritime engineering research.
The artificial environment will be similar to a 3,000-meter deep maritime environment, equipped with an apparatus that will create water currents identical to those in the deep-sea.
The other largest marine engineering aquarium in the Netherlands is 36 meters by 45 meters with the depth of 10.3 meters, and the aquarium built by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China is 40 meters by 50 meters with the depth of 10 meters. (Ast)
