It will provide not only energy: the wind station received an unusual function

In the Netherlands, for the first time, a seaweed farm was combined with wind turbines located in the open sea.

The world's first industrial-scale seaweed farm has been put into operation in the North Sea at the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) offshore wind farm. This was announced by the Dutch non-profit organization North Sea Farmers (NSF).

                                              North Sea Farm 1

North Sea Farm 1 is reportedly located between wind turbines about 18 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen in the North Sea. It covers five hectares and aims to test and improve seaweed farming technology. The research also aims to confirm the carbon sequestration potential of seaweed farms.

In its first year, the farm is expected to produce at least 6,000 kilograms of seaweed, which can be used to create a wide range of products, including clothing, food and health products. The NSF believes that the project can serve as a model for the cultivation of seaweed in the open sea around the world.

Head of the Department of Aquaculture and Marine Spatial Planning of the European Commission, Felix Leinemann, noted that the cultivation of seaweed in the open sea can contribute achieving the EU's goals of decarbonisation, zero pollution, conservation and restoration of biodiversity, protection of ecosystems and the development of environmental services.

“If the cultivation of seaweed expands to cover the entire area occupied by wind farms, which is expected to in 2040 will be approximately 1 million hectares, this will allow to capture and prevent emissions of millions of tons of CO2 annually,” — added NSF Executive Director If Browers.

The farm and research at the wind farm are funded by Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund. The company allocated 1.5 million euros for the creation of North Sea Farm 1 and a year of research.