Subsea Technology for Seaweed Blue Growth

Several Norwegian seaweed actors within business and R&D are connected in the Blue Garden project. The project aims to enable small farmers and refining industries to produce a variety of seaweed types for human consumption.

Blue Garden was initiated at an Idea Lab facilitated by the The Research Council of Norway in June 2016. The idea lab focused on knowledge and technology transfers between ocean industries. A number of participants joined the project based on an idea launched by Cecilie Mauritzen from NIVA.

– The Norwegian coastline has excellent conditions for sustainable growth of a variety of seaweed species, Mauritzen states. – We want to utilise this large potential for food production and encourage small farmers all along the coast to join in this new industry.
Local Production

An important part of the Blue Garden concept is to farm seaweed locally along the Norwegian coast. The project will serve small farmers by offering competence, network, production guidance, marketing and general facilitation for seaweed growth.

Today 6-7 per cent of the world’s food production comes from the ocean. With an increasing world population and need for food there will be an escalating demand for seaweed in the years to come. Norwegian players are in position to produce and deliver high-quality seaweeds for human food both for domestic use and export.

A Demand for Subsea Technology

Competence from the subsea industry can be of importance to develop the Norwegian seaweed industry. Several demands have already been addressed by the participants in Blue Garden. Amongst these are:

• Vertical positioning of growing ropes related to heavy swell and waves
• Online environmental sensoring and monitoring
• Anchoring systems
• Positioning sensors and alarm systems
• Underwater inspection
• Corrosion control
• Underwater harvesting
• Harvesting by using robots
• Underwater cleaning and maintenance

Blue Garden

The participants in the Blue Garden project, represents a variety of players connected to the growth of seaweed. Blue Garden hosts competence and knowhow within topics as biology, technology, R&D, networking and organising.

Blue Garden has participants from the following organisations: TANGO Seaweed AS, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), UKAP AS, Bergen Prison, Norway Seaweed AS, Christian Michelsen Research, Møreforsking AS, Algetun AS, SINTEF, AgriAnalyse, University of Oslo, Seaforest AS, Maritim Forening Sogn og Fjordane and GCE Subsea.