roadmap of the seaweed sector

Discover the growth potential and sustainability goals of the European seaweed sector through North Sea Farmers' interactive roadmap. This highlights the state of the seaweed industry today and provides projections for 2030, 2040, and 2050. It aligns with the EU's sustainability aims, covering nearshore, onshore, and offshore production.

 

THE 10 POINT ACTION PLAN 2030

First step towards the seaweed industry roadmap

These are 10 important and urgent action points that can directly support the development of the seaweed industry. NSF will put these action points forward towards stakeholder of the seaweed industry. You are free to do the same as NSF member or stakeholder. 

 

Recommended Design practice for seaweed farms

This document is an initiative of North Sea Farmers (NSF) supported by Invest-NL. Together with Aqitec and following a permit application process in 2022, NSF identified the need of the seaweed industry to setup a design standard for seaweed farms. To support the industry with a standardised design approach that can be certified by independent parties. This in turn will enable successful permit applications, getting the assets insured and attracting investments into the industry. 

 

united

What is the project about? 

The UNITED project aims to bring multi-use in our European seas a significant step closer. By means of scaled pilots in the various sea basins all aspects that are important to multi-use will be identified, from technical to legal and societal aspects.

 

Eco-anchor: scaling up sustainably

What is the project about?

To upscale the seaweed sector in a sustainable way, we initiated a project that focuses on building a sustainable anchoring system; the foundation of every future sea farm. The anchor holds the sea farm in place, is nature-friendly and built from safe materials.

 

Wier&Wind

What was the project about? 

The development of a large-scale, automated seaweed production system that is safe, sustainable, ecologically sound and offshore-proof. It needs to be suitable for functioning within offshore wind farms. The project has successfully ended in December 2022. 

 

ProSeaweed

What is the project about?  

A national research program with Wageningen University Research to explore how Dutch cultivated seaweeds can be used for different feed and food applications. The program includes different subprojects which consist of all research questions regarding the safe, qualitative and sustainable use of seaweed. 

 

offshore solar with oceans of energy 

What is the project about? 

Testing the offshore floating solar farms of Oceans of Energy within our Offshore Test Site. The goal is to eventually work towards safe and successful installation of floating solar farms within offshore (multi-use) wind farms.

 

ValgOrize

What is the project about?

Providing market knowledge and tools (e.g. seaweed taste panel) to accelerate the development of sustainable and flavoursome algae foods for the European market.

 

Process project

What is the project about? 

Investigate the effect of seaweed processing on iodine and heavy metal content in seaweed

 

IMPAQT 

What is the project about?  

Develop a remote, intelligent management system that monitors an aquaculture, or sea farm, from a distance. Special sensors measure the conditions at sea and communicate with the management system. 

 

Life Cycle Analysis seaweed products

What is the project about?

The aim of this project is to quantify the environmental impact of Dutch seaweed food products by means of a Life Cycle Analysis. A Life Cycle Analysis is a method that includes the entire life cycle of a product; from ingredient production to waste processing. This way you can clearly see the total impact of the food we eat!

 

Bio4safe

What is the project about?

Reducing the use of water and fertilizer in European horticulture, by means of innovative plant sensors a nd commercially available (seaweed based) biostimulants.

 

Multi-Use Procedure

What is the project about?  

This project was aimed at developing procedures that helps multi-users to realise their multi-use concept in the North Sea region. The procedures for The Netherlands and Belgium are available and usable for any type of multi-use. As such, it forms a predictable and transparent process towards a successful permit application for all stakeholders involved.

 

NEN & CEN

What is the project about?  

Actively contribute in developing the Dutch and European standards for algae food and algae food products, aimed at future legislation.  

 

Akkerbouw op Zee

What is the project about?  

Building turn-key farm systems for today’s seaweed farmer. The project is a spin-off of a collaboration with consortium Technisch Cluster Scheveningen on farm production systems. 

 

Data Buoy on our offshore test site

What is the project about?  

Generate a reference point for North Sea data by measuring parameters like turbidity, currents, Chlorophyll-A and light. A specially equipped buoy will capture different data series of these parameters at our Offshore Test Site. This project is a collaboration with Proeftuin op de Noordzee. 

 

Food safety pilot

What is the project about? 

Develop a standardized method for taking representative samples of Dutch cultivated seaweed for research. This project is carried out for the ministry of Agriculture in close collaboration with Wageningen Food Safety Research.