Kelp Blue
Namibia
Namibia’s cold Benguela Currents off the coast of Luderitz are rich in nutrients and present the perfect conditions for growing macrocystis.
Kelp Blue operates in Lüderitz, here the ocean conditions are ideal for cultivating macrocystis. The kelp benefits from the constant upwelling of the Benguela Current and strong and consistent sunlight. Kelp Blue’s operations will boost Namibia’s ‘blue economy’ and contribute to building social, environmental and economic resilience.
We have over 4 hectares of cultivated kelp thriving in our pilot farm in Sheerwater Bay and are expanding at a rate of 1 hectare per month, scaling to 4 hectares per month. Our kelp has grown through the whole lifecycle – from spores, to germination and transplanted to the ocean as seedlings to grow into mature healthy giant kelp. We harvest only the canopy and process it into products that contribute to a sustainable future.
Nursery & Hatchery
The hatchery is where we nurture the kelp before it’s attached to the underwater structure. It is our incubation hub – we create the optimal environment to keep our spores healthy and find new ways to grow kelp for higher attach rates at sea. When our team isn’t out at sea, they’re hard at work studying how the kelp responds to different induction parameters and testing various substrates to improve plant health and yields.
Processing
We have developed a specialised facility to process the kelp into a range of products – our first ready for market product is our biostimulant, StimPlus+ and we have more prototypes under way. I n our factory we integrate various stages of extraction, purification, concentration and drying to transform the kelp into high-quality products. Everything is built with circularity in mind – all our waste is re-purposed, water is recycled and materials are sourced responsibly and locally from businesses in the area. Over time we hope to develop new products from pure alginate and alginate rich pulp for use in textiles, cosmetics, bio-packaging and much more.
Environmental Monitoring
The team is on a constant mission to collect data on the ocean environment— we track our impact, collect ocean data, sample the coastal waters and use a mix of methods from eDNA to acoustic sensing and aerial monitoring to collect information on an ongoing basis. In conjunction with the Kelp Forest Foundation, we provide opportunities for interns from Namibian Universities and universities aborad to help us gather and scientifically record this information.
Biodiversity
We’re well on our way to achieving our mission to increase marine biodiversity. Kelp forests form submarine gardens, we have already identified 330 species of marine life living in our ecosystem. These giant kelp forests can positively impact and restore ocean resilience, helping to mitigate the climate change risk.
Our commitment to “Thinking smarter”
Because of the remote location of Luderitz we’re often forced to be creative with problem solving. We’ve quickly realised we need to make do with what nature gives us and what’s available at the time. See how we conduct our airborne monitoring and how we collect sediment from the sea floor.
We are committed to having a positive impact on the communities we serve with ongoing job creation, supporting local businesses and developing knowledge for a brighter future.
Find out more about how we are creating impact.