Imagine using the empty space under giant ocean wind turbines to grow food. Instead of letting that water go to waste, this project puts seaweed and mussels there to clean the water and create crops. It's like adding a vegetable garden underneath a solar panel array, but in the middle of the sea.
Marine space is crowded and expensive. Offshore wind farms leave vast areas of water unused, while aquaculture producers struggle to find new, sustainable locations for low-trophic species.
A digital MU-LTA farm service for monitoring and simulation, a prototype micro-siting tool for site selection, and three operational pilot farms for seaweed and mussels.
If you are a wind farm operator dealing with underutilized marine space in your lease area — this project developed a multi-use model that allows you to co-locate aquaculture. This maximizes the economic value of your site without interfering with energy production.
If you are a producer dealing with limited coastal space for expansion — this project developed a digital MU-LTA farm service. This tool helps you identify and operate high-potential offshore sites in the North and Baltic Seas.
If you are a consultancy dealing with complex zoning laws for ocean use — this project developed a micro-siting tool. This allows you to provide data-backed site recommendations for low-impact aquaculture to policymakers.
Based on available project data, specific cost figures or pricing models for the installations are not provided.
The project is designing the basis for upscaling through three pilot sites and a digital farm service. It specifically targets commercial solutions for the North and Baltic Seas.
Based on available project data, the specific IP and licensing terms for the prototype tools have not been disclosed.
The project addresses legislative issues, as seen in the German site where unforeseen legal hurdles were resolved to allow operation.
The project runs from 2023-01-01 to 2026-12-31, with pilot sites already operating in Denmark, Estonia, and Germany.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with 11 industry partners (including 5 SMEs) making up 44% of the 25 total members. This strong industry presence, combined with 7 research institutes and 5 universities across 8 countries, suggests the project is focused on market viability rather than just academic theory.
Contact HAVFORSKNINGSINSTITUTTET in Norway
Contact us to explore licensing for the MU-LTA digital farm service.
