Megaprojects have a mega prefix for a reason. The implementation of such tasks requires huge funds (over $ 1 billion), resources (millions of man / hours) and time costs. Today we will look at seven of the largest industrial projects that are currently under construction.
1. Beijing Daxing Airport, $ 13 billion
The new airport in the Chinese capital will be able to serve up to 100 million passengers a year. The complex, consisting of 1.6 million cubic meters of concrete, 52,000 tons of steel, covers an area of 70 sq. Km. Thus, upon opening in March 2019, Beijing Daxing will become the largest operating airport in the world. Two of the three largest Chinese airlines, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, will take off and land at the new airport. The design of the Beijing Daxing building is made in the form of a golden six-pointed star.
2. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, $ 20 billion
This complex is a series of bridges and underwater tunnels, about 50 km long, connecting three major cities in the Pearl River Delta in China. When commissioned in 2019, the project will become the longest bridge in the world.
Promotional video:
The construction will connect major Chinese cities: Hong Kong, Zhuhai in the Chinese province of Guangdong and Macau. The main part of the bridge consists of a 29.6 km double three-lane road and a 6.7 km submarine tunnel between the two artificial islands. In order for huge container ships and oil tankers to pass under the bridge, three sections of the bridge had to be artificially raised above the water level.
3. Thermonuclear reactor ITER, $ 22 billion
An international experimental project (in which Russia also participates) on the construction of a thermonuclear reactor was proposed back in the 1980s. However, construction of the plant near the French city of Marseille began only a couple of years ago. Due to great technical and financial difficulties, the launch date of the reactor was postponed several times. To date, it won't be until the next decade to see the potential for commercial use of thermonuclear energy.
4. Metro Crossrail, $ 23 billion
A new rail system has been under construction in London since 2009 and will be commissioned this year. At the moment, Crossrail is considered the largest project in the history of Europe. The new metro will link urban areas as well as the metropolitan area of London. The total length of the tracks will be 118 km, and the metro's capacity is 24 trains per hour. The first line was named "Elizabeth".
5. California high speed rail, $ 70 billion
The California high speed rail is a high-speed rail system between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2030. According to Novate.ru, trains will run between the two cities at a speed of 350 km / h in less than two hours. The 1300 km route will also include Sacramento and San Diego.
6. International Space Station, $ 150 billion
Currently, the International Space Station remains the most expensive science project in history. In total, since 1998, about $ 150 billion has been spent on the creation and launch of the ISS. But the program of the orbital station does not stop developing at this point. So, by 2020, two new modules will be installed on the ISS, in connection with which the cost of the space program will increase even more.
7. NEOM City, $ 500 billion
NEOM is a smart tourism city project in Saudi Arabia. The first stage of the construction of the city is planned to be completed by 2025. It is assumed that the city will become a new world center for all kinds of innovative projects. The city's construction was funded by a $ 500 billion Saudi Arabian investment fund, making it the most expensive project to date.