A New Use for Old Jackets

Global aquaculture production has already exceeded wild fisheries production, and space constraints in coastal areas have driven interest in the viability of combining aquaculture with offshore energy installations. New ideas keep coming.

An article published in Heliyon this month assessed the potential for growing high-value algae species on decommissioned oil and gas jackets.

Algal aquaculture is growing at 8.9% annually and became an $22 billion industry in 2024. There are an estimated 7,500 jackets globally, most located in the Gulf of Mexico, and the researchers estimate that existing wind and oil and gas infrastructure could create an industry worth as much as $50 million.

There are barriers to potential development including regulatory compliance costs and environmental risks, but the researchers propose that oil and gas companies should consider their options. They also suggest that finance mechanisms could reward projects that include environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration. (As seaweed grows, it sheds dissolved and particulate organic carbon that can be sequestered in the ocean for over 100 years.)

Another article published in Ocean Engineering this month examined the potential for the co-location of aquaculture amongst offshore wind platforms and on the platforms themselves. It cites