Fully operational: young seaweed have been planted in the world’s first co-located seaweed and offshore windfarm

Image above: North Sea Farm 1: the world’s first co-located seaweed and offshore wind farm. Photo credits: Smartland 

The floating farm, led by the industry organisation North Sea Farmers with Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) leading the scientific study, will serve as a testing and improvement site for seaweed cultivation and will also explore the carbon capture potential of seaweed farms. 

The project, named North Sea Farm 1, is funded by Amazon Netherlands’ Right Now Climate Fund, and was initially announced in 2023. 

Prof. Ana Queirós, Marine and Climate Change Ecologist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and scientific lead in this project, said: 

“Now that the farm is fully operational, the science can really begin! We’ll be investigating the potential climate change and biodiversity benefits of farming seaweed alongside offshore wind farms. The integration of seaweed cultivation alongside offshore wind farms offers a real opportunity to resolve marine space constraints for the seaweed sector in coastal areas, with additional potential for atmospheric CO₂ uptake and maybe some effects on surrounding biodiversity.” 

“Seaweed is known to absorb large quantities of CO₂ but the extent of its viability for carbon removal at industrial scale is yet to be determined. With “blue carbon’ ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses or salt marshes, carbon is sequestered into mud or sediment in the immediate environment – as the plants grow and die, their decomposing matter is absorbed into the ground below. Seaweeds, by contrast, grow in rocky and exposed areas, making the carbon sequestration process more challanging to track, as seaweed detritus and its dissolved carbon are constantly released into the ocean, sequestering at sites on the seafloor and yet unknown locations in the deep ocean, for a given farm.” 

“Our aim is to understand how this sector could potentially be used to enhance long-term carbon sequestration in the ocean, and maybe affect the surrounding ocean wildlife, which are still poorly understood. As such, PML, with our scientific partners Deltares and Silvestrum Climate Associates, will be providing the vital scientific expertise needed to independently assess and monitor the outcomes of North Sea Farm 1 and we’re very proud to be involved in such a first-of-its-kind project”.  

Watch now: Introduction to North Sea Farm 1 

Amazon has committed €1.5 million to establish the seaweed farm and support a year-long scientific study on CO₂ reduction through seaweed cultivation, led by PML. This investment is part of Amazon’s global Right Now Climate Fund, which totals $100 million. The fund supports nature-based solutions and Amazon’s efforts to become CO₂-neutral. €20 million of this fund is earmarked for projects across Europe that aim to protect, restore, and enhance biodiversity and nature in areas where Amazon operates. 

The consortium also includes researchers from Deltares and Silvestrum Climate Associates; seaweed extract manufacturer Algaia; project developer Simply Blue Group, and maritime contractors Van Oord and Doggerland Offshore. 

Click here for more information about the North Sea Farm 1 project > >