Kelp, a large brown type of seaweed, is an environmental powerhouse with enormous carbon sequestration potential. Experts estimate that naturally occurring kelp forests sequester approximately 5 million tons of carbon annually, equivalent to removing 1 million passenger vehicles from the road for a year. Now, Amazon is backing an effort to examine how commercial offshore kelp farms can boost algae-based carbon capture. Even better, the Amazon-backed farm is co-locating kelp cultivation within the same space as offshore wind turbines.

North Sea Farm 1 (NSF1) sits eleven miles off the coast of the Netherlands. Founded by the nonprofit North Sea Farmers, the farm has received $2.29 million in support from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund. It uses a floating system to grow the kelp, anchoring a series of pipes and netting to the ocean floor. The system uses eco-anchors, which, when anchored, stick out of the sea floor and provide a manmade shelter for marine life. 

The farm recently hit a milestone, harvesting the world’s first crop of sugar kelp grown in between turbines in an offshore wind farm. Located within the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind park, the farm is not just growing kelp to help capture carbon—it’s proving that farmed kelp can be grown in the space around renewable energy infrastructure. 

Because maritime traffic is restricted between offshore wind turbines, much of that space in the busy North Sea goes unused. NSF1 makes use of these otherwise wasted areas, spanning twelve acres of ocean. By growing kelp in the gaps between turbines, the commercial-scale kelp farm was able to be established and grow with little disturbance. It is expected that by 2040, Europe’s offshore wind industry will occupy nearly 4,000 square miles of ocean, offering perfect sites to farm kelp at an industrial scale. 

The location is not the only thing that sets NSF1 apart. To date, the only real examination of offshore kelp cultivation in Europe has been through pilot projects, but NSF1 is a functional commercial farm. The harvested sugar kelp is brought to onshore processing facilities and will go on to become food, packaging, and more. 

“Seaweed could be a key tool in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, yet it’s currently farmed at a relatively small scale in Europe,” said Zak Watts, director of European Union sustainability at Amazon. “We’re delighted to fund this project to help us reach a greater understanding of its ability to help fight climate change.”

Experts are leveraging the operations of NSF1 to collect data on how farmed kelp sequesters carbon. Researchers from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the Dutch hydraulic institute Deltares, and Silvestrum Climate Associates are using the harvest process to collect environmental data, including the amount of carbon sequestered, the speed of kelp growth, water quality, and local biodiversity. This research will help determine whether offshore kelp farms can play an important role in carbon capture and give necessary feedback on how to scale their growth in a sustainable and ocean-friendly way. 

What does this mean for the United States? It offers a perspective on how to use creative siting for commercial-scale kelp farms, as America’s coastal waters are becoming home to more and more seaweed farms. The North Sea farm also provides guidance for companies and industries looking to pursue climate initiatives; farmed kelp sequesters carbon while providing an in-demand end product, a win-win for the climate and the economy. Amazon is leading the way here by investing in the North Sea kelp farm—hopefully, other companies follow in American waters.  

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.