SEAFARM – Macro algae for a biobased society
Research leaders
Prof. Henrik Pavia, Göteborg University
Prof. Ingrid Undeland, Chalmers University
Prof. Eva Albers, Chalmers University
Prof. Ulrika Welander, Linné University
Project information
The overarching goal of this project ( SEAFARM ) is to develop a sustainable system for the use of seaweeds as a renewable resource in a future, biobased Swedish society. The transdisciplinary research approach includes techniques for cultivating seaweeds to be used as raw material in a biorefinery for the production of food, feed, biobased materials and bioenergy. Seaweed farming circumvents several disadvantages related to land-based biomass production, e.g. the need for fertilizers and irrigation, and does not compete for valuable arable land. In addition, seaweeds grow fast and their farming counteracts coastal eutrophication. A holistic approach is used where utilization of the resource is maximized in each step of the cycle. Seaweeds are cultivated at the Swedish west coast and methods suitable for preservation and storage will be evaluated.
The obtained biomass is subsequently fractionated in an integrated biorefinery. The different fractions are thoroughly characterized and recovered for production of biochemicals, polymers, and food/feed additives. The residues from the biorefinery are utilized for production of biogas and biofertilizers. In parallel, a general multi-process sustainable assessment method is developed to analyze the overall sustainability of the system.