Amazon, the e-commerce giant, is funding the world’s first commercial-scale offshore wind seaweed farm. The North Sea Farm 1 project, located off the Netherlands coast, will consist of a 10-hectare (25-acre) seaweed farm that is expected to produce at least 6,000kg of fresh seaweed in its first year. It is expected to become operational by the end of the year, and the first harvest is expected in spring 2024.
The project has the potential to achieve a lot of great things. By locating the farm specifically in unused space between turbines, it can expand seaweed cultivation in the otherwise heavily used North Sea. Seaweed farming can help reduce millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, and it can also provide habitats for marine life, including fish, crabs, and shellfish. Plus, it’s a nutritious food source that doesn’t require freshwater, fertilizer, or pesticides to grow.
Amazon is funding the project with a €1.5 million ($1.6 million) grant from its $100 million global Right Now Climate Fund. The North Sea Farmers, a collective of Dutch seaweed farmers and businesses, is leading the project. Researchers Plymouth Marine Laboratory, seaweed extract makers Algaia, and marine contractors Van Oord are also taking part in the project.
Eef Brouwers, manager of farming and technology at North Sea Farmers, said: “Potentially, up to 85,000 full-time jobs could be created in the European seaweed sector by replicating North Sea Farm 1 across the North Sea, repurposing the space among wind farms. These jobs would not only be in the farming process but also in the production and sales of seaweed-based products.”
The hope is that this project evolves into a blueprint for offshore seaweed farming that can be rolled out globally. If successful, it could have a huge impact on climate change mitigation and marine biodiversity.
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