07.03.2004

What ever happened to Cargo-Lifter?

A few years ago a group of investors set up Cargo-Lifter, a venture established to build massive helium filled, Zeppelin type airships for heavy lifting duties. The company appeared to be well funded and built the world’s largest free standing hanger, which was to be the production plant for the huge craft in Lausitz south of Berlin.

The glass and steel hanger is 107 metres high 210 metres wide and 360metres long and rates as one of the largest covered areas anywhere. Sadly the venture failed in May 2002 and the unique building has now been sold to a British-Malaysian group calling themselves the Tropical Island Consortium. The company purchased the hanger for around £20 million; Cargo-Lifter is thought to have spent in the region of £52 million to build the structure.

The plan is to convert the hanger into a huge tropical dome along the lines of the highly successful Eden project in Cornwall, England. The dome will include a large lagoon, with a beach and sun beds as well as a rain forest/jungle environment complete with tropical birds, monkeys and other flora and fauna. The consortium will spend £50 million on converting the hanger and is expected to employ around 1,000 people. The aim is to complete the building by October of this year.