Colocation of Seaweed Aquaculture at Offshore Windfarms: Policy Opportunities and Barriers in the UK

The drive for net-zero, along with conflicts in fossil fuel producing regions of the world has driven interest and development in offshore wind as a renewable energy source. The UK’s offshore wind capacity will need to increase significantly to meet government targets, and along with other commitments such as the 30by30 target for protected areas the area of water for other blue economy initiatives is crowded. The cultivation of seaweed can also contribute to net zero through carbon sequestration solutions, either directly, through natural sequestration processes or by using seaweed as a source for fertiliser (hence preventing further carbon emissions from production of synthetic fertilisers) and biochar (with the aim of ‘locking in’ carbon). Other benefits of seaweed cultivation can include potential increases of biodiversity and increased socio-economic activity by creating jobs in deprived coastal areas. Co-location of seaweed aquaculture within the space between turbines in offshore wind farms can help to achieve these targets, while at the same time reducing the impact on an already overcrowded marine environment, and these policy opportunities can apply to many Global North countries. However, in the UK, there are many leasing, regulatory, and motivational barriers to joint offshore wind and seaweed partnerships preventing these policy opportunities from being exploited, which appear to have been overcome in other countries such as the Netherlands. Just as the UK has become a leader in the development of offshore wind, it too needs to be a pioneer in sustainable seaweed aquaculture co-location activities or risks missing out on economic, societal, and environmental benefits.