First seaweed harvest completed at farm within Dutch offshore wind project

The first harvest has been completed at North Sea Farm 1, a commercial-scale seaweed farm located within the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm off the coast of the Netherlands. The project is being developed by the non-profit North Sea Farmers.

The farm, where the first seaweed was planted in October 2024, spans five hectares. The project has received €2 million in funding from an Amazon climate fund. Eva Faict, Amazon Netherlands and Belgium country manager, stated that the harvest proves cultivated seaweed farming among offshore wind turbines is a "viable commercial concept".

The harvesting process involves a special vessel collecting mature seaweed from four large nets anchored to the seabed between the wind turbines. Following the harvest, a team of researchers from partner organisations including Plymouth Marine Laboratory will deliver an analysis of the seaweed's growth and its impact on carbon storage and the wider ecosystem.

Professor Ana M Queirós of Plymouth Marine Laboratory said the analysis will follow carbon from the seawater into the seaweed and will use seabed samples, water samples, and eDNA techniques to gain a detailed understanding of the developing habitat.