Australia has the third largest Exclusive Economic Zone with over 80% being classified as offshore, beyond two nautical miles from the coast and subject to oceanic waves, tidal currents and wind. Renewable energy from these sources can be captured and converted into electricity for both onshore and offshore use, as well as transformed into energy ‘carriers’ such as hydrogen, for storage or export. Australian aquaculture is challenged by the lack of suitable inshore sites and the knowledge to operate effectively in remote and/or exposed offshore environments. By overcoming these challenges, Australia can substantially develop its tropical, sub-tropical and temperate aquaculture industries.

The Blue Economy CRC will, for the first time bring the aquaculture and renewable energy sectors together to address the challenges of offshore food and energy production, that leverages the benefits of colocation, vertical integration, infrastructure and shared services. Offshore engineering will be central to this emergence, leveraging decades of experience drawn from the shipping, defence, oil and gas industries.