North Sea Farmers (NSF) is an independent and not-for-profit sector organization for the European seaweed industry.
North Sea Farmers
Simply Blue Group will collaborate in the North Sea Farm 1 Project (NSF1) to develop the world’s first commercial-scale seaweed farm within an offshore facility.
The seaweed farm will be located off the coast of the Netherlands in the North Sea and will be operational in autumn this year. According to the established plans, the first harvest will occur in spring 2025.
The interested entities that take part in the project, sponsored by Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, aim to meet European climate action targets thanks to seaweed cultivation. Seaweed can produce a valuable biomass with a wide range of uses from pharmaceuticals to animal feed to fertilisers.
Simply Blue focuses on replacing fossil fuels with clean ocean energy. Therefore, it removes CO2 from the atmosphere and develops sustainable sources of protein. At the same time, it invests in coastal communities.
Regarding this matter, Hugh Kelly Co-Founder & CEO at Simply Blue Group said: "We recognise that seaweed cultivation is a valuable tool in tackling climate change and supporting our oceans. We believe that in time offshore wind farms will have multiple uses, with seaweed production being one of them. By joining NSF1 we are making the first step on that journey."
On the other hand, Eef Brouwers, Project Manager of 'North Sea Farm 1', 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," he concluded.
About North Sea Farmers
North Sea Farmers (NSF) is an independent and not-for-profit sector organisation for the European seaweed industry. NSF has a member base of over one hundred companies, pioneering start-ups, research institutes, NGOs and other stakeholders. By enabling these members to become successful with their seaweed ambitions NSF hope to shape an innovative and prosperous sector in Europe.