Simply Blue Group, an Ireland-based blue economy project developer, has announced its partnership with the not-for-profit organisation North Sea Farm 1 Project (NSF1) consortium to establish the world’s inaugural commercial-scale seaweed farm situated within an offshore wind farm. The 10-hectare farm, located off the Dutch coast in the North Sea, is scheduled to commence operations in autumn this year, with seeding set to begin, and the first harvest anticipated in spring 2025.

Multiple Benefits

Backed by Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, the consortium’s objective is to contribute to European climate action goals by harnessing the vast potential of seaweed cultivation. Seaweed, akin to trees, absorbs nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon dioxide while producing oxygen, thereby aiding in combating climate change and ocean acidification. Additionally, it yields a valuable biomass with applications spanning from pharmaceuticals to animal feed and fertilizers.

Simply Blue Group’s mission revolves around substituting fossil fuels with clean ocean energy, mitigating CO2 emissions, and fostering sustainable protein sources, all while attracting investments into coastal communities. The company emphasises the multi-purpose utilization of wind farms and underscores the efficient utilization of sea space as crucial for leveraging oceans in climate change mitigation efforts and involving local communities and supply chains in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Image credit: Smartland Landscape Architecture

Expertise

Hugh Kelly, Co-Founder & CEO at Simply Blue Group, expressed enthusiasm for joining the consortium, emphasizing seaweed cultivation’s significance in climate change mitigation and ocean support. He envisions offshore wind farms evolving to serve multiple functions, with seaweed production being a pivotal aspect.

Eef Brouwers, Project Manager of the North Sea Farm 1 initiative said: “We are delighted that Simply Blue Group has joined the consortium to help deliver this project. Their expertise in aquaculture and offshore wind will be valuable in the successful execution of seaweed production in an offshore wind farm for the first time. The North Sea Farm 1 project aims to help the seaweed industry in scaling-up within offshore wind farms and Simply Blue Group’s capabilities in both areas make them an ideal partner.”

For NSF1, NSF will head up a consortium of partner organisations from across Europe that are involved in the entire seaweed production supply chain. This includes researchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Deltares and Silvestrum Climate Associates, seaweed extract manufacturers Algaia and maritime contractors Van Oord. NSF works in the entire seaweed value chain and facilitates knowledge exchange on sustainable seaweed cultivation, production, marketing, education, policies and research, and facilitates joint innovation projects.