Our business aims to generate hydrogen using solar energy from mirrors floating in the Pacific Ocean, concentrating sunlight to power the electrolysis process. We will extract magnesium from seawater and supply the copper and nickel needed for construction from manganese nodules on the ocean floor.

The global hydrogen market is growing, and the unique proposition of using renewable energy and sea mining could capture a significant market share. By leveraging abundant solar energy and the vast surface area of the Pacific Ocean to generate hydrogen, as well as sourcing copper and nickel from deep-sea mining of manganese nodules, we present a sustainable and innovative approach to hydrogen production that sets us apart from competitors.

Challenges include overcoming technical difficulties related to the deployment and maintenance of the floating mirrors and the deep-sea mining operation. However, the business has significant potential for growth due to the increasing demand for clean energy and sustainable practices.

Our company will first build a permanent floating base in the middle of the ocean, using the accumulation of millions of tons of plastic in the South Pacific garbage patch as construction material. This garbage patch grows tenfold every year, adding to the existing valuable resources. The platform remains fixed because it sits at the confluence of all South Pacific water currents in the middle of the South Pacific Gyre.

The collector mirrors sit on floating supports made from basaltic rock from the ocean subfloor, mixed with sediment generated by the nodule excavation. This material is heated to 1800 degrees Celsius using solar energy and then quenched in a jet of supercooled air. It solidifies into a spongy, very low-density glass with sub-capillary cavities throughout. We have tested the floating glass blocks and found them to have excellent structural strength. The collector base is virtually indestructible and will be here for eons into the future.