Netherlands-based engineering firm OOS International, through its OOS SMF division, has entered into an agreement with local mussel harvesting company Aquamossel-Triton to collaborate on a pilot project that entails growing mussels at the Borssele offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
Through the trial, OOS aims to gain insights into mussel seed collection, mussel growth, and the impact of bad weather on the harvesting system designed by the company.
Cultivating mussels in the open sea requires a different approach from growing them in sheltered waters like the Oosterschelde.
OOS expects the trials to take about two years. If the results are positive, OOS and Aquamossel-Triton will build and operate a large, semi-submersible mussel farm (SMF) off the coast of Zeeland.
The design philosophy of the SMF is based on the floater/column design of the OOS-operated semi-submersible offshore construction and accommodation vessels OOS Serooskerke and OOS Walcheren, enabling the SMF to be operated safely even in harsh environments at sea.
