Seaweed set to make its mark as newest biofuel

June 24, 2008   by Jozef Winter

Most people may not know it, but seaweed has, for centuries, been used for a multitude of applications including cosmetics, food, medical treatments, fertilizers, and it was even burned to get potash and soda ash for the soap and glass industries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Now Ireland’s great wealth of washed up macroalgae may also be used to produce biofuels, with several distinct advantages.

Unlike some land-based biofuel crops, seaweeds do not require any fertilizer as they derive their nutrients from the constant flow of ocean waters that surround them. They do not take up any land which may be used to produce food crops, and they do not require watering or irrigation. They are also resistant to severe weather damage, surviving a storm that, on land, would ruin the crops entirely.

If these weren’t selling points on their own, certain seaweeds contain more oil than rapeseed, peanut, or even palm oil, making it an even more attractive proposition. Currently there are 16 commercially harvested types of seaweeds, with more being added to the list once their usefulness has been proven. In order to make the seaweed biofuel a reality, however, they need to be able to reap the crop at a cost of $1 per kilogram, which will require some additional research, but don’t be surprised to see seaweed biofuel startups on the horizon in a year or two.

via physorg