Member of the ULTFARMS project
The European project ULTFARMS has started its activities with the aim of improving the production chain of low-trophic aquaculture (LTA) products, specifically seaweed and molluscs suitable for consumption, in offshore wind farms. Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA) is the only Spanish partner in this consortium led by the Deltares institute of the Netherlands, which has 25 members from 9 countries.
ULTFARMS (circUlar Low Trophic oFfshore Aquaculture in wind farms and Restoration of Marine Space), an initiative funded with nearly 9.6 million euros by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, will be developed over 42 months in six pilot plants located in offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, specifically in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. They will combine technical, ecological, biological and engineering processes to optimize the production of seaweed, mussels and oysters in harsh offshore conditions and low-salinity environments.
According to data from the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), in 2019 the demand for aquaculture products in the European Union was 14.53 million tons, of which 9.47 million tons were imported. For this reason, ULTFARMS proposes to incentivize European self-sufficiency by investigating new circular structures for seaweed and mollusc farming and their fattening systems. At the same time, the project will promote the use of renewable energies to reduce the carbon footprint of commercial and aquaculture activities.
At the technological level, ULTFARMS will have state-of-the-art equipment for its implementation, using integrated marine monitoring and management platforms such as HiSea and the open databases and operational forecasting systems CMEMS and SeaDATANET. The initiative will involve the participation of five Associated Regions, which will serve to replicate the actions and best practices previously tested in the six pilot plants.
CTA leads the commercialization work package
CTA, as a partner of the ULTFARMS project, will be the entity responsible for developing the business plan of the results obtained and facilitating their access to the market. As a leader of the commercialization work package, the Andalusian entity will carry out a market study to detect possible competitors, collaborators and clients of the exploitable elements of the project. In addition, CTA will propose a feasibility analysis, manage the intellectual property rights of the results and evaluate the economic impact of ULTFARMS.
Partners
The ULTFARMS consortium consists of 25 members from 9 countries, including research institutes, innovation clusters or companies, among others. The full list of partners is as follows:
- Coordinator: STICHTING DELTARES – Netherlands
- FUNDACION CORPORACION TECNOLOGICA DE ANDALUCIA – Spain
- FORSCHUNGS- UND ENTWICKLUNGSZENTRUM FACHHOCHSCHULE KIEL GMBH – Germany
- UNIVERSITEIT GENT – Belgium
- INSTITUT ROYAL DES SCIENCES NATURELLES DE BELGIQUE – Belgium
- STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCH – Netherlands
- DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET – Denmark
- VLAAMS INSTITUUT VOOR DE ZEE – Belgium
- NORDIC SEAFARM AB – Sweden
- KIELER MEERESFSARM GMBH & CO KG – Germany
- BBE MOLDAENKE GMBH – Germany
- JAN DE NUL NV – Belgium
- BLA BIOMASSE A/S – Denmark
- ORSTED WIND POWER A/S – Dinamarca
- SUBMARINER NETWORK FOR BLUE GROWTH EWIV – Germany
- PARKWIND – Belgium
- HIDROMOD MODELACAO EM ENGENHARIA LDA – Portugal
- GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITET – Sweden
- IMPACT9 ENERGY & MARINE LIMITED – Ireland
- BANTRY MARINE RESEARCH STATION LIMITED – Ireland
- SPF OCEAN RAINFOREST– Faroe Islands
- HORTIMARE BV – Netherlands
- VAN DE BRAAK Catharina – Netherlands
- OOS SMF BV – Netherlands
- GL GARRAD HASSAN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH – Germany
