Hot news in cleantech: Offsore biomass and solar wallpaper by Sophie Vorrath

What do you get when you marry offshore wind farms and biomass plants? Well, bio-offshore, of course. Also known as offshore biomass, it's the name of the game behind an innovative approach to seaweed cultivation that Netherlands-based renewables and climate group Ecofys recently began testing off the Dutch coast. How do wind turbines come into the equation? According to Ecofys project manager Anouk Florentinus, offshore wind farms could help provide ideal growing conditions for seaweed. “A wind farm is closed for shipping and commercial fishing,” says Florentinus. “This makes it a kind of marine conservation area. Fish will be attracted to the seaweed fields and use them for shelter and even as a nursery.”