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PROJECT SEA SPIRIT IS |
DESIGNED TO STORE FINE WINE AND CHAMPAGNES, RARE COGNACS, BRANDIES AND OTHER SPIRITS UNDER WATER. |
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RATIONALE |
TO ENSURE LONG TERM AND INCREASED QUALITY COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL STORAGE METHODS. OUR SYSTEM PROVIDES FOR CONSTANT TEMPERATURE (16C), UNLIMITED SPACE, UNIQUE AND IMPROVED PRESENTATION WHICH OTHER VENDORS DO NOT PROVIDE. CYPRUS HAS A LONG TRADITION IN PRODUCING WINE AND OTHER SPIRITS. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES ON THE ISLAND TODAY. THE COMBINATION OF THE SURROUNDING MEDITERRANEAN SEA WITH EASY ACCESS TO UNDERWATER STORAGE MAKES THIS PROJECT A VIABLE ENTERPRISE. TRANSPORT AND OTHER LOGISTICAL PROBLEM AREAS HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED AND CAREFULLY PLANNED FOR. WITH CYPRUS JOINING THE EUROPEAN UNION A NEW COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IS REQUIRED. OUR SYSTEM MEETS THIS REQUIREMENT BY IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS WITH BETTER ACCESS TO LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS. |
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BACKGROUND |
FOR MANY YEARS SEVERAL MAJOR WINE PRODUCING COUNTRIES WITH SEA ACCESS HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH THIS STORAGE CONCEPT. THE FORERUNNER - FRANCE HAS HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THE SALE OF WINE WHICH HAS BEEN STORED UNDER WATER. INITIALLY 10 000 BOTTLES OF POUILLY-FUME WERE STORED FOR 4 YEARS 9NM OFF THE COAST OF FRANCE ON THE ATLANTIC SEA FLOOR. WINE EXPERTS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THIS WINE IS FAR BETTER THAN THOSE FROM THE IDENTICAL VINTAGE STORED IN CONVENTIONAL CELLARS. |
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TASK |
IN CYPRUS AQUATEC INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. PROVIDES THE MARINE AND UNDERWATER MANAGEMENT, SERVICE AND LOGISTICS TO STORE SPIRITS UNDER WATER FOR A SPECIFIC FEE. AS A LOCALLY BASED PRIVATE CYPRIOT COMPANY, WHICH IS SERVICE ORIENTATED, AQUATEC INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. PROMOTES AWARENESS OF THE WINE INDUSTRY WITH THIS INNOVATIVE PROJECT. FOR THE "SEA SPIRIT" PROJECT THE PURCHASE OF SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT IS NECESSARY (REMOTE UNDERWATER TEMPERATURE SENSORS, MOBILE INTERMEDIATE REFRIGERATED STORAGE DEVICES, ETC...). IN ORDER TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO FURTHER DEVELOP HUMAN RESOURCES THEREBY, EMPLOYING ADDITIONAL STAFF. FOR MARKETING, SALES PROMOTION AND DISTRIBUTION AQUATEC INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. HAS TEAMED UP WITH A SALES MANAGER AND PR SPECIALIST FROM THE USA. FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND CONTROL, A SWISS QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER IS ALREADY ON THE PROJECT TEAM. A POSSIBLE PROJECT EXPANSION IS THE INCLUSION OF SPECIALISED PACKAGING AND GLOBAL SHIPMENT OF "SEA SPIRIT" PRODUCTS. TOGETHER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW LOCAL MARKET INCLUDING THE PROMOTION OF PRODUCT EXPORT, AQUATEC INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. HAS PLANS TO EXPORT THE PROJECT IDEA TO OTHER COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY THE FAR EAST. THEREFORE ITS MARKETING STRATEGY IS TO PROMOTE AND PRESENT THE PROJECT AT INTERNATIONAL FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS. |
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FINANCE AND FUNDING |
IS PARTLY PROVIDED BY AQUATEC INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. WITH CO-FINANCING FROM OTHER LOCAL PRIVATE AND CORPORATE INVESTORS. |
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CLIENTS |
ARE MAINLY FROM THE CYPRIOT WINE INDUSTRY. AQUATEC INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. WELCOMES OTHER FOREIGN COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE. FOR IN DEPTH DETAILS PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. AT ABOVE TEL. / E-MAIL. |
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PRELIMINARY TESTS
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THE STORAGE OF SPIRITS IN DEEP WATER REQUIRED EXTENSIVE TESTS, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO PROTECT THE LIQUIDS FROM THE CRUSHING WATER PRESSURE. INITIAL TESTS WERE CONDUCTED IN CONTROLLED PRESSURE CHAMBERS WITH A SELECTION OF DIFFERENT WINES PLACED IN A WATER CONTAINER. A SAMPLE OF CYPRIOT BOTTLED WINES WERE PRESSURE TESTED AT A SIMULATED WATER DEPTH. THE TEST SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN BLIND AND WERE FOUND TO BE IN PROPER CONDITION PRIOR TO THE TEST EXECUTION. INSIDE THE PRESSURE CHAMBER, THE SAMPLES WERE SUBMERGED IN WATER TO SIMULATE IN-WATER PRESSURISATION AND TO PREVENT AIR FROM ENTERING INTO THE BOTTLES WHILE UNDER PRESSURE. DURING THE TEST PHASE, THE SUBMERGED SAMPLES WERE OBSERVED VISUALLY THROUGH AN OBSERVATION WINDOW WITHIN THE CHAMBER. PRESSURES AND TIME WERE MONITORED VIA AN EXTERNAL DEPTH GAUGE AND WITH A STOP WATCH. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT CONVENTIONAL NATURAL CORKS ARE NOT RESISTANT TO PRESSURE AND CHANGED THEIR ORIGINAL VOLUME, THEREFORE SEALING WAS NOT MAINTAINED. ALSO, THE CONVENTIONAL LABELING OF BOTTLES PROVED NOT TO BE WATER RESISTANT. AFTER A LONG SERIES OF TESTS, THE CORRECT COMBINATION OF BOTTLE SIZE, GLASS AND CORKS WERE DEVELOPED TO ENSURE THAT SEA WATER DOES NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE VALUABLE LIQUID. ADDITIONAL WATERPROOF LABELING WAS ESTABLISHED. TRANSPORT BOXES OF SPECIFIC SIZE WERE ALSO INCLUDED IN THE SYSTEM. |
| ENVIRONMENT |
THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT / DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND MARINE RESEARCH INVESTIGATED THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AT THE SITE. BASED ON THEIR CONCLUSION, THAT NO ENVIRONMENTAL HARM WOULD BE CAUSED BY SUCH A PROJECT, THEY GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO START THE EXPERIMENTAL PHASE. THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PHASE SHOWED INCREASED MARINE DIVERSITY, WHICH IS USUALLY VERY SPARE. |
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THE EXPERIMENTAL PHASE
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WAS INITIATED AT THE BEGINNING OF JULY, AFTER THE AUTHORITIES OF CYPRUS APPROVED LEGAL PERMISSION TO AQUATEC INNERSPACE OPERATIONS LTD. TO CONDUCT SEA TRIALS AND THE USE OF THE SEA BOTTOM. ALL OPERATIONAL STEPS ARE RECORDED AND LOGGED. SAMPLES OF WINE IN DIFFERENT BOTTLES AND SEALINGS WERE PLACED IN A PARTITIONED PLASTIC CONTAINER, WHICH WAS PLACED BY DIVERS ON THE SEA BOTTOM AT -72 METERS. THE SEA BOTTOM CONSISTED OF SAND AND MUD WITH NO VISUAL MARINE LIFE. THE TEST SAMPLES WERE LEFT IN OPEN SEA WITH NO SUBMERGED OR SURFACE MARKERS. THE POSITION OF THE SAMPLE WAS DETERMINED BY USING GPS WITHIN A TARGET RANGE OF 5 METERS. |
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LOCATION |
IS AT CYPRUS'S SOUTH COAST 2NM OFFSHORE. THE DEPTH IS BEYOND -70 METERS FOR REASONS OF SAFETY, PROTECTION AND CONSTANT SEA WATER TEMPERATURE OF 16C. ON THE SEAFLOOR, A CHESSBOARD LIKE LINE GRID WITH 5 X 5 METER SQUARES IS PLANNED ALONG WITH SURFACE MARKERS AND 10-TON ANCHORS. THE PRESENT ALLOCATED AREA IS 50 X 50 METERS, WHICH CAN BE EXPANDED. THIS GIVES STORAGE CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 320000 BOTTLES AT ONE LEVEL. |
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DIVING
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BECAUSE OF THE GREAT DEPTH, THE DIVERS HAVE TO USE SEVERAL DIFFERENT BREATHING GAS MIXES AND SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT FOR EXTENDED RANGE DIVING. DURING THE DIVES, SEVERAL COUNTER CURRENTS IN THE MID WATER COLUMN WERE EXPERIENCED, WHICH WERE SO STRONG THAT HORIZONTAL SWIMMING WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. OCCASIONAL STRONG SEA SURFACE CURRENTS WERE PRESENT. ON THE BOTTOM ONLY A VERY MINIMAL CURRENT WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE WATER COLUMN HAD ALSO SEVERAL THERMOCLINES. THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FROM SURFACE TO BOTTOM IS 12C. THE VISIBILITY DECREASED SHARPLY FROM SURFACE TO BOTTOM BEGINNING WITH A RANGE IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF ABOUT 30 METERS + AND DROPPING AT THE BOTTOM TO ONLY 10 METERS AND LESS. SO FAR 4 DIVES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED WITH 10 TO 20 MINUTES BOTTOM TIME AND 50 MINUTES OF DECOMPRESSION FOR EACH DIVE. TEST SAMPLES OF SEA WATER AND BOTTOM WERE COLLECTED FOR ANALYSIS. |
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RESULTS
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AFTER 2 MONTHS SUBMERGED UNDERWATER, THE RESULTS TURNED OUT TO BE BETTER THAN EXPECTED. THE CONTAINER WITH WINE WAS FOUND IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION FLAT ON THE BOTTOM AS ORIGINALLY PLACED. INSIDE THE BOX, MARINE LIFE IN THE FORM OF AN OCTOPUS, SHELLS, SMALL FISH, WORMS AND STARFISH WAS PRESENT. UPON RETRIEVAL, THE BOTTLES AND SEALS WERE FOUND TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION. THEY SHOWED SIGNS OF SMALL GROWTH OF MARINE LIFE WHICH IS QUITE UNUSUAL FOR SUCH A SHORT PERIOD UNDER POOR LIGHT CONDITIONS. THE SURFACE TRANSPORT WAS IN A REFRIGERATED CONTAINER TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT TEMPERATURE. AN IMMEDIATE TEST OF THE WINE WAS CONDUCTED INCLUDING VISUAL CHECKS OF BOTTLES AND SEALS AND FOUND TO BE IN PERFECT CONDITION. THE WINE TASTED EXCELLENT AND NO TRACE OF CONTAMINATION EITHER VISUAL OR BY TASTE WAS FOUND BY THE TESTERS. A FOOD LABORATORY IN NICOSIA MADE A DETAILED CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE WINE FOR POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION BY SEAWATER. NO CONTAMINATION WAS DETECTED. |
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OUTLOOK
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GREAT INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER INTEREST HAS BEEN GENERATED. EVEN BEFORE FINALISATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PHASE A LARGE QUANTITY OF "SEA WINE" WAS ORDERED AND RESERVED. |
| SPECIAL THANKS TO |
FOR THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT IMPLEMENTING THE "SEA SPIRIT" PROJECT. |
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...MORE TO COME... |
