blue abyss, the world's biggest and deepest indoor pool to be built in the UK

blue abyss has announced that it will be building the world’s biggest and deepest pool in cornwall, england. the project will occupy a 10-acre site on the aerohub business park at cornwall airport and will be used for testing the latest underwater technology, helping advance subsea robotics and even training astronauts.

images by blue abyss

blue abyss will feature an aquatic center with a 50m by 40m stepped pool with a 16m wide shaft plunging to a depth of 50m. the pool contains over 42,000 cubic meters of water, which is the same as 17 olympic size swimming pools or 168 million cups of tea. a sliding roof and 30-ton crane will allow large objects to be lowered into the pool, from simulated sections of the international space station to underwater film sets and even cave systems to test remote operated vehicles or train deep sea divers.

the blue abyss pool’s temperature, lighting and salinity can all be controlled to simulate different conditions, including different currents at varied depths. the £150 million facility will take 18-months to come to reality but once its done, it promises to generate 160 jobs and £8m annually for the local economy. blue abyss will appeal to a range of markets by simulating extreme environments in a safe and controlled setting and include the world’s first commercial astronaut training centre. other markets span offshore energy, maritime defense, ocean ecology, human life sciences and commercial diving, and will help in the further development of remotely operated subsea robots and mini submersibles.

‘we’re planning a globally unique facility with a wide range of potential uses that tap into so many of the industries that cornwall and the south west are known for,’ said john vickers, chief executive of blue abyss. ‘blue abyss will be a huge research asset for aerospace, offshore energy, underwater robotics, human physiology, defence, leisure and marine industries, and a fantastic education centre for children and university students. cornwall already feels like our natural home and we’re delighted to have received such a warm response.’