The $4 Million Google Barge In Portland, Maine Is Destined For The Scrap Yard

One of Google's mysterious barges docked in Portland, Maine is destined for the scrap yard.

A spokesperson at Google confirmed that parts of the estimated $4 million barge, which Google has reportedly spent $400,000 in fees to dock, are going to be sold for scrap, according to Fortune

The barge in Portland is one of three owned by Google that sparked a media storm when they first appeared in 2013. Speculation was that they could be data centers, secret labs and money other things.

A spokesperson for Google cleared the air last year:

"Google Barge ... A floating data center? A wild party boat? A barge housing the last remaining dinosaur? Sadly, none of the above," a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch in 2013. "Although it's still early days and things may change, we're exploring using the barge as an interactive space where people can learn about new technology." 

The barges were originally envisioned to be floating luxury showrooms in San Francisco, New York City and Los Angeles, the AP reported. 

Now they appear to be defunct. The Portland Herald first reported the barge floating in the Maine capital was sold to an international unnamed barge company. The 63 shipping containers used to create the structure atop the boat will be dismantled and sold for cash, according to the article.