Saltern Bay

Project idea

فكرة المشروع هي معالجة القضية الحرجة المتمثلة في بطالة الشباب في مدينة القصير في مصر، حيث تبلغ نسبتها قرابة 20%، وهي أعلى بكثير من المتوسط الوطني البالغ 6.3%. وقد تسبب ذلك في هجرة أكثر من 7000 شاب سنوياً إلى المدن المجاورة كالغردقة وصفاجا بحثاً عن العمل، مما أضعف القوى العاملة والاقتصاد والآفاق المستقبلية لمدينة القصير. يستثمر المشروع الموارد الطبيعية الفريدة لمدينة القصير، وهي ارتفاع مستويات ملوحة البحر الأحمر التي تتراوح بين 42 و45 وحدة ملوحة عملية، مقارنةً بالمتوسط العالمي البالغ 35 وحدة، إذ تشكل أيونات الكلوريد والصوديوم أكثر من 85% من المحتوى، وهو ما يشبه ملح الطعام. ويتيح ذلك فرصة قيّمة لاستخراج الملح البحري بطريقة مستدامة. تعدّ أحواض الملح التقليدية غير فعّالة وضارة بالبيئة، كما أنها تشغل مساحات ساحلية واسعة وقيّمة مع عائد مالي منخفض. يقترح المشروع إنشاء مركز حديث لاستخراج الملح البحري باستخدام طريقة مبتكرة للحصاد عبر ألواح متخصصة، إلى جانب فندق بوتيك لاستقطاب السياح والمستثمرين. يهدف هذا النهج المتكامل إلى خلق فرص عمل، وتعزيز الإيرادات، وإنعاش اقتصاد القصير بصورة مستدامة، فضلاً عن كونه نموذجاً رائداً لطريقة جديدة لاستخراج الملح البحري في المناطق الساحلية.

Project description

This project is composed of two primary components that work in harmony to maximize both economic and social benefits. The first component consists of sea salt harvesting panels along with underground salt processing facilities. The second component features a boutique hotel situated behind the harvesting panels that are directly overlooking the sea, offering guests panoramic views of the sea. The project includes a total of 28 distinct sea salt harvesting panels, thoughtfully integrated with various supporting facilities. Panels that do not have a direct sea view are designed to accommodate public spaces and outdoor recreational areas, enhancing community engagement and visitor experience. - The ground floor of the boutique hotel is dedicated to public amenities and services. This level houses the main reception and entrance, multiple dining options including restaurants and cafeterias, comfortable lounges, gift shops, salt-themed spas, salt art studios, a gym, and other leisure facilities, providing a comprehensive hospitality experience. - Above the ground floor, the hotel’s accommodation units are located. This level contains a variety of rooms including suites, king rooms, and twin rooms, along with emergency staircases to ensure safety and accessibility for all guests. - Beneath the surface, the underground floors are dedicated to the salt production operations. These levels include salt production galleries, raw salt packing areas, a salt cosmetics manufacturing facility, salt laboratories, a salt refining and crushing factory, and various workshops. This subterranean setup allows for efficient and environmentally controlled processing while preserving the aesthetic and functional integrity of the surface-level hotel and harvesting panels.

Technical information

The building’s construction features a series of inclined panels set at various angles, supporting horizontal sea salt harvesting trays. These panels are oriented facing south to maximize sun exposure, which is critical for the evaporation process. - The inclination angles of the panels vary between 15 and 45 degrees, with 45 degrees being the steepest to avoid excessive shading on the trays. This stepped arrangement of inclined panels, combined with the variation in angles, enhances wind flow across the trays. Since wind speed directly influences the evaporation rate, this design accelerates the evaporation cycle, increasing salt production. Comparative tests showed that traditional salt harvesting ponds in the same area yield approximately 520 tons per year, whereas the inclined stepped panels produce about 2,446 tons annually—an increase of 17.5% in evaporation efficiency. - Each panel measures between 16 by 16 meters and 24 by 24 meters, ensuring that the highest inclination does not exceed the maximum allowable wind speed, thereby preventing wind from blowing water off the trays. -Structurally, each panel comprises several components: 1. Main inclined concrete frames measuring 50 by 120 cm, with the outer frames reinforced to 70 by 120 cm to support metal stairs and fixed salt chutes. 2. Secondary concrete frames of 30 by 50 cm, along with haunch supports, which carry the horizontal evaporating trays. 3. Salt chutes, supply and drainage pipes, and risers are securely attached to the outer main inclined frames. 4. Ladders and workers’ catwalks provide safe access to each level of evaporating trays. 5. The trays themselves, along with drying salt baskets, facilitate efficient salt harvesting. - The salt chutes extend down to the underground processing levels, where harvested salt is transferred to vibrating sieves. These sieves remove impurities, preparing the salt for further refinement and production. This integrated design optimizes both the harvesting and processing stages, enhancing overall productivity and quality.