In search of findingan infinite source of energy, mankind gave birth to nuclear power. This sourceof energy held great promise, but brought about an adverse effect against theenvironment. Currently nuclear waste is one of the biggest challenges thatsociety face, and there is over 250,000 tons of used nuclear fuel in the world.The Fathom Tower envisions a solution for nuclear waste and will bring about ashift in the way we view clean energy.

Located in theocean, the Fathom Tower is designed to compress and decompress its helicalstructure to reach even the deepest part of the ocean. It has the capability toextend all the way down to 11 kilometers, which is the deepest known depth inthe ocean. The entire facility can also migrate, to find the ideal location todrill. By boring into a specific type of seabed, the Fathom Tower will safelyplace all the world’s nuclear waste in a secure container designed to last formany millenniums.

There are vast partsin the ocean that have remained undisturbed geologically for tens of millionsof years. In these parts, there are clay rich muds that can safely contain andentomb even the most radioactive materials. It is in these locations, thatFathom Tower will resolve the world’s nuclear waste problem. With the nuclearwaste safely buried in locations deeper than 4 kilometer, the nuclear energy’sstigma of being a dangerous source of energy will change. Society mayreconsider what clean energy is, and change the way we bring energy to ourcities. Since nuclear energy does not generate greenhouse gas, it may very wellbecome the primary way to produce electricity.

With the FathomTower designed to reach the bottom of the ocean, it houses an immense amount ofspace. The space will accommodate programs that will benefit both thescientific and academic community of tomorrow. At the surface of the facility,the marina is nearly 4 kilometers in diameter, and is covered in lush greenlandscape. Below the surface the entire structure is designed to sway with the movementof the ocean, so that it doesn’t work against the enormous strength of thecurrent. The long helical shaped facility is segmented into 4 different zonesconnected by a flexible elevator structure at its core. At the top is the greenarboretum that welcomes the scientific community to the facility, and receivesnuclear material from all around the world. Right below the surface for thefirst kilometer is the scientific research and academy center, which will helpmake breakthrough discoveries and allow for a deeper understanding of theocean.  The lower section houses numerousnuclear power plants that will provide neighboring countries with unlimitedclean energy. At the bottom is the boring system that will drill into the deepseabed to safely place nuclear containers. With the cooperation of the entirescientific community, Fathom Tower will reverse the detriment that mankind hascaused to the environment.