Norway’s ambitious innovation project at sea has started the transformation of the North Sea into a thriving underwater world where renewable energy and sustainable food production come together. The innovative OffWoff co-location scheme integrates the construction of wind farms at sea with the latest aquaculture systems. All this has opened the doors to new opportunities at the oceans’ depths for simultaneous use. Such innovation has the potential to revolutionize the way we view resource management at sea.
Offshore wind farms turned into fish nurseries
The Mareld Floating Wind Farm is more than a source of renewable electricity and has become the epicenter of a revolutionary aquaculture. Fish farms are located between the platforms of the wind farms and consist of 12 seabed pens. They are designed to complement the existing structures of the wind farms. This innovative solution capitalizes on the deeper water that tends to have less risk of disease and parasites compared to coastal fish farms. Subfarm’s innovative technologies incorporate underwater fish cages that shield the fish from the adverse effects of sea lice and algal blooms.
The water quality and aeration in the offshore area are better compared to other sites, offering the best possible environment for rearing fish. The effect of the high-speed wind blades blocks fishing boats from entering the area, making it perfectly safe for fish farms. Co-Location enables both sectors to share necessary services such as vessels, monitoring services, and maintenance activities. In this regard, both sectors can limit their cost of operation as the maximum effective usage of the seas is achieved.
Revolutionary production capacity: 6,000 tons per year per system
Every integrated fish farm system has the potential annual fish production of 6,000 tons. This high production level indicates the possible harvest of thousands of fish reaching maturity in the protected zone provided by the offshore winds. The systems installed across the Mareld wind farm could increase the output exponentially.
The economic effect is not limited to fish production since each system is anticipated to create 30 sea-related job opportunities and 30 more inland job opportunities involved in the processing and packaging of the fish. After the harvest process, the fish is conveyed to the shore-based plants for the preparation of the fish for marketing. They also promote a healthier seabed as the deeper water environment provides the required habitat for biodiversity. Moreover, the environment provides the best conditions for raising fish sustainably.
Nordic cooperation paces the world in ocean innovation
The OffWoff project involves important partners such as Subfarm, the DHI Research institute, Blue Maritime Cluster, and Freja Offshore AB.
Nordic Innovation’s Thordur Reynisson highlights the advantages of the Nordic region as follows: “The Nordics are uniquely positioned with world-class expertise in aquaculture and offshore wind, and a tradition of cross-border cooperation.”
Critical success factors:
- Proper Ocean Mapping and Spatial Planning
- Predictable regulatory frameworks
- Data sharing across sectors
- Pilot Project Knowledge Development
Clear licensing requirements for co-location “Our oceans represent a fantastic source of life that we should tap very carefully,” explains Reynisson. “What we hope to accomplish here is the promotion of innovative schemes that can realize the potential of the ocean as well as improve the biodiversity of the oceans. This will officially kick off on June 17, 2024,” Reynisson concludes.
Norway’s ground-breaking OffWoff project shows how innovative thinking can turn the use of the oceans from competing uses to cooperative opportunities. The ambitious plan of the project to produce 6,000 tons of fish per year per system, together with the production of clean energy, sets the pace for sustainable development at sea. As the world looks for more sustainable protein sources and more access to clean energy in the face of a rising demand, the Norwegian example shines as an example to emulate.
