10182232Feasibility of a Modular Low-Energy, High-Yield Processing Line for Seaweed ProcessingClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKTransformational Energy is developing a compact, modular processing line to unlock more value from UK grown seaweed while reducing energy and water use. The project will test how an integrated sequence---dockside cleaning and inspection, low-energy dewatering and advanced cell disruption, followed by either wet processing to biocrude or selective fractionation---can increase recoverable products per tonne of macroalgae without the costly drying steps that currently constrain throughput. Using only material harvested or cultivated within UK territorial waters, we will generate robust performance data on yield, energy intensity and product quality across representative Scottish species and harvest conditions. The technical approach is innovative because it treats seaweed as a wet, variable feedstock and designs around that reality. Our pilot line combines closed-loop seawater wash systems with inline sensing (machine vision and NIR) to maintain quality and adapt setpoints in real time as species and moisture change. It compares two high-value routes: a wet-to-bio-crude pathway that converts fresh biomass directly, and a dry-to-extract pathway that right sizes drying with heat pump assistance before producing hydrocolloid-rich streams and a mineral-rich liquor suitable for anaerobic digestion or fertiliser use. By integrating these steps inside a digitally controlled, containerised format, the concept aims to localise processing at or near ports, shorten logistics, and open new product options for UK farms without large, fixed facilities. This builds on TE's experience with containerised, modular energy systems and drop-in fuel production, adapted here to seaweed processing and valorisation. If successful, the project will demonstrate a practical route to higher yield, lower energy per tonne and increased value from UK seaweed, supporting coastal jobs and the circular bioeconomy. The outcomes---a validated data pack, scale-up considerations and a UK supply chain pathway---will be made available to help growers, processors and technology partners plan next steps toward a pilot facility, positioning the UK to process a greater share of its seaweed resource into sustainable fuels and biobased products.