
What could be the better way other than
luxury submarines for billionaires (
who wish to rule the seas like Captain Nemo) to submerge in luxury? Very much like
luxury yachts, luxury submarines are catching the fetish of the billionaires of the society. A few days back, we were talking about the possibility for the superyachts of the rich to
go green with the solar sail, and now we have a solar powered submarine. Swiss energy company BKW has unveiled its GOLDFISH project, which stands for the world’s first solar powered submarine. The submarine will be powered by a floating solar array. Sharing the looks of a water Lilly, the floating solar platform has a central hub, surrounded by five satellites fitted with solar panels. The solar array will float on 300 square meters of area and will produce 30 kilowatts of electricity.
With a weight of up to 80 tons, the 30 meter long, 10 meter high submarine accommodates 24 people and is able to go down a maximum of 300 meters under water. A solar-powered
shuttle boat will bring the tourists from the shore to the platform for the submarine ride.
BMK expects to use a similar concept to power the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Anyway, they are currently looking for investors for the GOLDFISH project, which is estimated to cost about US $8.85 million.
When I think about the mystery of 100 luxury subs lurking around the Seven Seas, I find the GOLDFISH solar powered marine really a strange concept. Folks like Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich would never want a submarine, which could be easily spotted by the masses, thanks to the floating solar array. But still, I am all praise for everything that cares for Mother Nature.
