GROWIER

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GROWIER is a collaboration between Seaweedland, Nedmag, Hortimare, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and TU Delft. The project explores how high-quality seaweed can be grown on land using the saline process water released during Nedmag’s magnesium production, turning what would otherwise be a rest stream into a useful resource.

By moving cultivation from the ocean to a controlled environment, seaweed can be produced consistently and year-round, with stable quality and full traceability. This avoids the fluctuations and contamination risks of sea-based farming and creates a reliable supply suited for food, feed, and other applications.

Rest Stream to Resource

A key innovation in GROWIER is the circular use of saline water. After magnesium is extracted, the remaining water still contains nutrients that are ideal for seaweed growth. Because seaweed grows in saltwater rather than freshwater, this approach also helps address increasing global pressure on freshwater resources, an important consideration for future food production.

The technology will be applied, tailored, and upscaled in greenhouses in Veendam, where saline groundwater and residual heat from the Nedmag site are available, allowing for an integrated and efficient cultivation setup.

In parallel, GROWIER works on applications for seaweed in food, feed, and personal care, helping to build a regional and resilient seaweed value chain rooted in the Northern Netherlands, one that connects local industry, research, and agriculture to a more sustainable future.