PNAT builds jellyfish barge for sustainable crop cultivation

PNAT builds jellyfish barge for sustainable crop cultivation
photo by matteo de mayda
all images courtesy of PNAT

responding to predictions that the world’s population will grow to almost 10 billion within the next 40 years, italian thinktank PNAT has developed a module for crop cultivation that does not reply on either soil, fresh water or chemical energy consumption. dubbed the ‘jellyfish barge’, the project is envisioned as a floating agricultural greenhouse, able to purify salt, brackish or polluted water using solar energy.

the design is built using low-cost technologies and simple materials
photo by matteo de mayda

built using low-cost technologies and simple materials, the design consists of a 70 square meter wooden base that floats on recycled plastic drums and supports a glass greenhouse for crop cultivation. inside the structure, a high-efficiency hydroponic harvesting method provides up to 70% of water savings compared to traditional systems, while required water is supplied by seven solar desalination units. arranged around the perimeter of the greenhouse, these devices are able to produce up to 150 liters of clean fresh water each day.

the modular nature of the design also means that while a single element is completely autonomous, a combination or cluster of barges is able to create a stronger and more resilient organism.

the project is envisioned as a floating agricultural greenhouse
photo by matteo de mayda

the scheme can purify salt, brackish or polluted water using solar energy
photo by matteo de mayda

a high-efficiency hydroponic harvesting method provides up to 70% of water savings
photo by matteo de mayda

required water is supplied by seven solar desalination units
photo by matteo de mayda

the barge can produce 150 liters of clean fresh water each day
photo by matteo de mayda

a wooden base floats on recycled plastic drums and supports a glass greenhouse
photo by matteo de mayda

the modular nature of the design means that a combination of barges is able to create a more resilient organism
photo by matteo de mayda

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project info:

coordination by prof. stefano mancuso
project by antonio girardi and cristiana favretto
cultivation by elisa azzarello, elisa masi, camilla pandolfi and LINV researchers
solar desalination by paolo franceschetti
supported by regione toscana and ente cassa di risparmio di firenze
promoted by university of florence
jellyfish barge is a project developed by pnat