Enabling Bioeconomy with Offshore Macroalgae Biorefineries

Golberg, Alexander; Zollmann, Meiron; Prabhu, Meghanath; Palatnik, Ruslana Rachel

doi:10.1007/978-981-13-9431-7_10

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 92 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Today only a few seaweed species are cultivated and/or harvested for direct use as food or for extraction of hydrocolloidal polysaccharides. However, polysaccharides in seaweeds are diverse, and several are known to have interesting properties, but both technical and economic challenges remain before novel and economically sustainable business' can form (Golberg et al 2020). One group of species known for their interesting components, not only polysaccharides, are the green algae Ulva spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultivation conditions affect the monosaccharide composition in Ulva fenestrata

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, the interest in using seaweed for the sustainable production of commodities has been increasing as seaweeds contain many potentially worthwhile compounds. Thus, the extraction and refining processes of interesting compounds from seaweeds is a hot research topic but has been found to have problems with profitability for novel applications. To increase the economic potential of refining seaweed biomass, the content of the compounds of interest should be maximized, which can potentially be achieved through optimization of cultivation conditions. In this study, we studied how the monosaccharide composition of the green seaweed species Ulva fenestrata is influenced by the abiotic factors; irradiance, temperature, nitrate, phosphate, and pCO2. It was evident that lower nitrate concentration and cultivation at elevated temperature increased monosaccharide contents. A 70% increase in iduronic acid and a 26% increase in rhamnose content were seen under elevated irradiance and temperature conditions, though the absolute differences in monosaccharide concentration were small. Irradiance and nitrate impacted the ratio between iduronic and rhamnose, which is an indicator of the ulvan structure. These results could potentially be utilized to coax the ulvan towards specific bioactivities, and thus have a considerable impact on a potential biorefinery centered around Ulva.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultivation conditions affect the monosaccharide composition in Ulva fenestrata

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Among the products to which the seaweed biomass can be converted are ethanol, butanol, acetone, methane, proteins (for food and animal feed), high-value products, lipids, and biofertilizer (Hafting et al 2015). Previous studies have shown that the remaining pulp after extraction of high-value polysaccharides (agar, alginate, carrageenan) still contains high quantities of carbohydrates and nutrients including protein, lipids, and minerals, which may be used as a source of raw material for extraction of other products rather than treated as waste (Golberg et al 2019). For example, after carrageenan extraction, it is observed that 60%-70% of the resultant solids are considered waste (Uju Wijayanta et al 2015, Ingle et al 2017, which can be converted into biofuels after hydrolysis.…”

Section: Step 4: Market Orientation Aspectmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The waste is also richer in carrageenan, leading to higher yield per mass of processed biomass (Eswaran et al 2005). Golberg et al (2019) describe in detail the economics of marine biorefineries, their implementation, supply chain design, and assessments. The profitability of marine biorefineries is subject to various sources of uncertainty, such as feedstock supply, processing technology, investment, contracting, and demand.…”

Section: Step 4: Market Orientation Aspectmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anaerobic digestion, fermentation, transesterification, and pyrolysis can convert algal biomass into proteins and sugars that can result in food, chemicals, and biofuels. However, at each stage of the production process, a choice emerges between various options that ultimately affects costs, output, and the total profitability (Golberg et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The implementation of a macroalgal biorefinery model for coastal towns for the conversion of polysaccharides into ethanol, with the extraction of phycocolloids such as agars, alginates, and carrageenans, can increase its profitability (Bruton et al 2009). The co-production of multiple products from the same biomass can lead to near-total use of the raw material with minimal waste and maximum valorization (Golberg et al 2019). Together with increasing the customer awareness of bio-based products and subsequent demand, local algal biorefineries (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Challenges for marine macroalgal biomass production in Indian coastal waters

2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Due to its large, exclusive economic zone, India has considerable potential for implementing large-scale cultivation of macroalgae. However, such cultivation requires the availability of, and access to, sites where technical, legal, governmental, and environmental factors are favorable. This review discusses the challenges that have held back the development of seaweed cultivation in India. The review is based on a literature survey and informal discussions with industry-related personnel. It cites the strong need for clear and definitive policies related to access to and use of coastal waters to enable the Indian seaweed industry to reach its full potential. The main challenges that the expansion of macroalgal cultivation in India face are related to legal and regulatory aspects that can be resolved by focusing the policy issues on providing planning tools toward success. In addition, there is a strong need for an adequate bioeconomy that clearly defines the need for marine macroalgal biomass for food, chemicals, and biofuels. Furthermore, the Indian government needs to allocate sufficient funds for accelerating seaweed R&D in areas of seaweed cultivation, harvesting, processing technologies, and their implementation in the local industry.

show abstract