This autumn marks the inauguration of the world’s first commercial seaweed farm within the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) wind farm, off the coast between The Hague and Zandvoort in the North Sea. North Sea Farm 1, spearheaded by North Sea Farmers (NSF) and funded by Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, represents a forward-thinking development in sustainable ocean farming.
Situated among the wind turbines of HKZ, North Sea Farm 1 serves as a floating seaweed cultivation site where advanced methods will be tested and refined. The project also provides a unique platform for scientific research into the role of seaweed farms in carbon sequestration. By optimizing the previously unused spaces between wind turbines, this initiative aims to significantly expand seaweed farming in the North Sea—a region already heavily utilized for various maritime activities.
The potential for scaling seaweed cultivation in the North Sea is considerable. Current and future wind farms offer the opportunity to produce up to 1 million tons of fresh seaweed annually by 2040, which could result in the sequestration and avoidance of millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). The Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm itself, owned by Vattenfall, BASF, and Allianz, began in September 2023. With 139 turbines, it generates sufficient electricity to power 1.5 million Dutch households.
The North Sea Farm 1 project is led by NSF in collaboration with a consortium of scientific researchers and partners from the seaweed industry, including researchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PLM), Deltares, and Silvestrum Climate Associates, and industry players such as Algaia, Simply Blue Group, Van Oord, and Doggerland Offshore. The farm will cover 5 hectares and is expected to yield at least 6,000 kilograms of fresh seaweed in its first year. This seaweed will be processed into various innovative applications, including sustainable packaging, health-enhancing animal feed, cosmetic texturizers, and agricultural products aimed at increasing crop resilience.
The consortium hopes the farm will provide a replicable model for offshore seaweed cultivation on a global scale. As the leader of the project, NSF hopes to gather crucial data that will inform and drive the sector forward.
Amazon has contributed €1.5 million to the establishment of North Sea Farm 1 and the first year of scientific research focused on CO2 reduction through seaweed farming. This investment is part of Amazon’s broader $100 million Right Now Climate Fund, which supports nature-based solutions globally. The insights gained from this research, conducted by North Sea Farmers, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and their partners, are expected to shed light on the potential of seaweed cultivation as a viable means of atmospheric carbon dioxide removal.
