The need

In the Oceans
500 marine “Dead Zones” around the Globe, covering 4 500 000 km² (the size of the European Union). The main cause is Eutrophication – an excess of nutrients in the water, driven by the soil erosion, the sewerage systems and the heavy fertiliser use from industrial agriculture.

Up to 75% of the fertilisers end up, via rivers, in marine coastal areas resulting in a nutritious chemical cocktail. It causes a massive algae bloom which if not consumed naturally – dies. Thus, leading to critical oxygen loss due to its rotting, wiping out all living organisms in the area, creating a “Dead Zone”.

The increase in global population, changes in diet, and expected decrease in crop yield, are projected to result in a 70% food gap by 2050. The increase in global population, changes in diet, and expected decrease in crop yield, are projected to result in a 70% food gap by 2050. “To feed the current global population of 7.7 billion people, 75 per cent of developed land is used for terrestrial agriculture production, including livestock that consumes 70 per cent of all freshwater resources. Despite this, more than 800 million people are chronically undernourished. The ocean covers more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface yet capture fisheries and a small marine aquaculture sector produces only 2 per cent of the global food supply”.

Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN FAO), and the World Food Bank, summarised in the excellent World Resources Institution white paper “Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future”, 2016

Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN FAO), and the World Food Bank, summarised in the excellent World Resources Institution white paper “Shifting Diets for a Sustainable Food Future”, 2016

The EU is the second biggest market for mussels in the world, forming 35% of total world market equal to ~700kt at a market value of €1.1B. Despite global growth, the EU production has stagnated the past 30 years. To satisfy the increasing demand the EU is forced to import increasing amounts of mussels from abroad. The current import dependency is ~32% (230kt) and it keeps growing. The situation in the USA is even worse with an enormous 95% import, representing a serious technological problem in the industry.

The common feature among the conventional technologies is that they are located on the water surface, where the energy of the wave is destructive for them. This requires a sheltered near-shore location for their application.