SeafoodSource is closely following seaweed innovation by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector.
- Norwegian fish-farming firm Lerøy has announced plans to expand both its seaweed- and mussel-farming operations, which operate as Ocean Forest and Ocean Harvest, respectively.
This expansion marks the success of Lerøy’s aquaculture aquaculture efforts outside of fish. The company began farming species outside fish in 2014 and has since invested NOK 15 million (USD 1.4 million, EUR 1.3 million) annually into this production.
Initially, Ocean Forest and Ocean Harvest were intended to capture nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon emissions from Lerøy’s salmon farms. Now, the goal of this diversification is to increase food production from the sea while also limiting the environmental footprint of fish production through the “efficient recycling of … unexploited resources in the environments surrounding fish farms.”
Harald Sveier, who heads up Ocean Forest and Ocean Harvest, said that the process of scaling these operations has been difficult and has required Lerøy to partner with “highly specialized automation companies to develop the necessary systems from scratch.”
Bringing the products to market is the next step in the company’s growth plan.
- Faroe Island-based seaweed firm Ocean Rainforest, Europe’s largest producer of farmed seaweed, has secured USD 2.78 million (EUR 2.5 million) in funding from Denmark’s Triodos Food Transition Europe Fund. The fund, which is managed by Triodos Investment Management, now holds a minority equity stake in the company; other shareholders include the Grantham Foundation, Builders Vision, Katapult Ocean, Twynam, and the World Wildlife Fund.
“From an environmental perspective, large-scale seaweed cultivation enhances marine biodiversity and water quality. Seaweed-based fertilizers and animal feed also support the transition to sustainable agriculture," Triodos Fund Manager Adam Kybird said. "Furthermore, seaweed products provide health benefits to consumers, improving digestion and offering anti-inflammatory properties. Socioeconomically, Ocean Rainforest generates positive impacts for coastal communities, creating jobs and positioning the Faroe Islands as a leader in sustainable seaweed cultivation.”
Ocean Rainforest also operates in the U.S. state of California, where its kelp-cultivation facility possesses the nation’s first research and development permit for seaweed cultivation. It has recently applied for a commercial permit to expand these operations, which, if granted, would make it the largest seaweed farmer in the U.S.
- North Sea Farm 1, a project of North Sea Farmers (NSF), began seaweed cultivation off the Dutch Coast at the end of September; the project is the first commercial-scale seaweed farm to utilize space between wind turbines.
Located within the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) wind farm, North Sea Farm 1 offers an opportunity to explore the potential of commercial seaweed to capture and store carbon. The project, funded by Simply Blue Group and Amazon, meets the goals of the E.U. Algae Initiative, which aims to promote algae as “a largely untapped resource that can be used – with a limited carbon and environmental footprint – to produce food, feed, pharmaceuticals, bioplastics, fertilizers, and biofuels.”
NSF Managing Director Eef Brouwers said that if the project is successful, the use of wind farm sea space for seaweed cultivation could be transformative in the fight against climate change.
"[If] seaweed farming were to expand to occupy the entire space occupied by wind farms, [which is] expected to be approximately 1 million hectares by 2040, this could capture and void millions of tons of CO2 annually,” he said.
European Commission Head of Blue Economy Sectors, Aquaculture, and Maritime Spatial Planning Felix Leinemann also expressed his enthusiasm for the project.
“The farming of seaweed can contribute to achieve the E.U.’s objectives in terms of decarbonization, zero pollution, circularity, the preservation and restoration of biodiversity, the protection of ecosystems, and the development of environmental services,” he said. “What is particular about this project is that it models the impacts of large-scale seaweed farming within an offshore wind farm. Hopefully, it will prove that multi-use of the limited space at sea is not just a concept but a reality and can eventually be commercially viable.”
- Auckland, New Zealand-based environmental impact investor EnviroStrat is sponsoring sustainable seaweed expert Peter Green's travel to New Zealand to showcase how seaweed aquaculture is an opportunity to regenerate marine ecosystems while reinvigorating the economy of remote towns.
Green works for aquaculture and alternative seafood venture capital and private equity firm Hatch Blue, where he advises on seaweed investment opportunities.
EnviroStrat is bringing Green to New Zealand as part of its regenerative ocean farming pilot program: Greenwave Aotearoa. Green said he would explore “the role of blue carbon and discuss its potential impact and relevance” with members of the country’s aquaculture industry, as well as share innovative approaches to carbon monitoring from projects in Japan.
Green’s tour with EnviroStrat will also see him connect with New Zealand researchers, policymakers, investors, and more.
