Hexicon’s joint venture Freja Offshore and the Norwegian company Subfarm are collaborating to enable fish farms in the Swedish offshore wind farm Mareld.
A new development project will take a closer look at how electricity production and fisheries can be combined.
Freja Offshore has applied to build the offshore wind farm Mareld, 40 km off the coast west of Lysekil in Sweden.
Now a development project is being started with the Norwegian company Subfarm to enable fish farms within the wind farm area.
The Lysekil Municipality, the research institute DHI and the Norwegian industrial cluster Blue Maritime Cluster also participate in the collaboration.
The region Vastra Gotaland needs to triple its electricity production in the coming years to meet the energy needs and offshore wind will play a key role.
At the same time, wind power must be able to coexist with other important interests, not least the fishing industry and sea-based food production.
Therefore, Freja Offshore now wants to develop the possibility of running sustainable fish farms in connection with the Mareld wind farm.
“Seafood and offshore wind power are two industries that Sweden will need more of in the future, not least to strengthen preparedness.
“That is why we want to find ways to combine these two pieces, says Magnus Hallman,” CEO of Freja Offshore.
Previous studies show that offshore wind farms can act as artificial reefs and marine protected areas.
This increases the amount of fish and shellfish and, in turn, the availability of prey.
At the same time, larger fishing vessels can’t pass through the wind farm.
However, there are good opportunities for fish farming.
The Norwegian company Subfarm has been working since 2018 to develop solutions that enable sustainable fish farming inside offshore wind farms.
The fish farms will be placed between the platforms of the wind turbines and they will be anchored with their own anchoring system. The fish boxes will be lowered to a depth of 50–70 metres and hoisted up to the surface for checks and harvesting. They are then transported by ship to land.
Freja Offshore is a joint venture between Norwegian Mainstream Renewable Power and Hexicon established to develop, build and operate floating offshore wind farms in Sweden.