Starting next year, an eco-firm based in Abu Dhabi plans to tow icebergs to the UAE all the way from Antarctica. The icebergs will then be harvested to produce pure, drinking water.
The firm, National Advisor Bureau Limited, will begin towing icebergs in 2018. According to its managing director, Abdullah Mohammad Sulaiman Al Shehi, one iceberg can produce over 20 billion gallons of water — enough to quench the thirst of one million people within five years.
Antarctica’s Icebergs to be Towed to the UAE
The icebergs will be part of what the firm calls the UAE Iceberg Project. Al Shehi stated that it could take one year to tow an iceberg from Antarctica to the UAE. He also explained that the iceberg will be harvested mainly for water, but it could also be good for the weather and tourism.
The sight of floating icebergs along the eastern coast of the country will certainly attract many tourists. In the eastern coast of Canada, for instance, plenty of tourists come to see the icebergs floating from the Arctic along the Atlantic Ocean.
Fresh Water All the Way from Antarctica
The firm plans to tow icebergs from Antarctica to the coastline of Fujairah, UAE. This journey will cover a distance of about 12,600 kilometers. This is a long way from the southernmost continent, which is believed to contain 70 percent of the world’s freshest water.
A ship will be guiding the icebergs on their trip to the UAE. Upon reaching the shore of Fujairah, the icebergs will be chipped, crushed, and filtered through a processing plant. This will result into gallons upon gallons of pure, drinking water, which will be stored in immense water tanks.
Icebergs’ Effects on the Weather
Aside from harvesting water from the icebergs, Al Shehi shared that the project could also help improve the weather. He said that the presence of the icebergs could result in the creation of “micro-climates,” which could actually lead to more rain in the UAE.
The cool air from the icebergs could create a vortex, attracting clouds and bringing more rain across the Arabian Gulf throughout the year. Notably, the icebergs are part of the much larger “Filling the Empty Quarter Project,” which is aimed towards “greening” the Rub Al Khali desert.
Here is a video about the Iceberg Project:
Towing an iceberg all the way from Antarctica may seem far-fetched, but it is certainly not impossible. The project could help provide more drinking water and improve the weather. Moreover, floating icebergs along the coast of the UAE would be an amazing sight, indeed!
Photo & Video Credits: National Advisor Bureau Limited on YouTube