The business case for seaweed aquaculture in the North Sea: Learning from international experiences

The goal of this study, conducted under the Proseaweed programme, is to learn from international experiences about the business case of seaweed farming in the Dutch North Sea. This report provides an overview and analysis over the limited data on the costs computed in previous studies. Three interviews with promising companies were conducted: Ocean Rainforest, Artic Seaweed and The Seaweed company.Literature and case studies were used to gather qualitative data on factors leading to successful seaweed farming, so-called success factors. The results show that site selection with ideal water conditions is essential for a good harvest and even the potential for longer operating windows. These conditions are not found in the Dutch North Sea and innovations would be needed.