SeaGas : Production of bio-methane from seaweed by Anaerobic Digestion (AD)
Lead Research Organisation:
Scottish Association For Marine Science
Department Name: Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Planned Impact
AD currently uses land biomass such as cereals, grass silages or food crops to supplement varying levels of waste streams causing a negative impact on land for food vs fuel and concerns over GHG emissions. While AD has the potential to meet 10% of UK energy demand by 2020 (ADBA 2014), alternative sustainable feedstocks are essential. Seaweed does not compete with food for land or require fresh water. It is fast growing, captures CO2 more efficiently than land plants and is a bio-remediator. It has carbohydrate (CHO) /gross calorific value (GCV) 11-15MJ/kg comparable with cereals (13-19/MJ/kg). Seaweed can replace grass silage in AD combined with food waste to produce the same gas yield 10.4m3 CH4/t.
Utilising all waste streams, the UK AD industry could generate 40.4TWh of biogas, or >10% of demand and be worth £2-3Bn by 2020. AD process knowledge and economics will inform plant design to maximise returns from FIT and RHI. TCE and the steering panel will identify early adopters by M18, in East Anglia and Scotland to build pilot AD plants in the 20ml coastal strip, near waste streams, within 6M of project completion. This will minimise transport costs and GHG emissions and benefit from closed loop energy integration. AD plants can be funded by loans from eg Green Investment Bank, (~£3Bn), Enterprise Finance Scheme(~£2Bn). Small AD plants generating <500kWe, with seaweed at £300/t dwt can return £700k-£1Mpa with build costs of £2M-£3M and ROI <4 yrs, including £5/t for digestate as fertiliser but excluding savings in waste disposal. Larger AD plants generating 2MWe, with seaweed at £150/tdwt can return £2Mpa with build costs of £3M to provide ROI in < 2yrs. Operation of 50 such plants using 2.5Mt seaweed by 2025, with growth of 20% pa to 2030 is feasible. This will require a multi-harvest, high yield, (200t/ha) seaweed farming system (Benchmark Holdings). TCE manage min ~6.6Mha coastal seabed, equivalent to the UK area of arable land, and will licence this to generate Treasury revenue, promote economic growth, job creation and further exploitation of seaweed based on the supply chain economics and the storage system. 2% (132,000ha, 1,320km2) of the coastal seabed producing 200t/ha seaweed would supply up to 26Mt seaweed value ~£390M for AD. To generate the same energy in AD with maize, instead of seaweed (at 22m3 CH4/t), would use 12% UK arable land. TCE will support supply chain development by leasing land for storage, NSMC and Norfolk Council will promote seaweed for biofuel production, CEFAS will lead on marine management. Further exploitation of seaweed in fermentation and energy generation by gasification will be economically enabled and the partners will apply the expertise and knowledge in other IB processes.
Utilising all waste streams, the UK AD industry could generate 40.4TWh of biogas, or >10% of demand and be worth £2-3Bn by 2020. AD process knowledge and economics will inform plant design to maximise returns from FIT and RHI. TCE and the steering panel will identify early adopters by M18, in East Anglia and Scotland to build pilot AD plants in the 20ml coastal strip, near waste streams, within 6M of project completion. This will minimise transport costs and GHG emissions and benefit from closed loop energy integration. AD plants can be funded by loans from eg Green Investment Bank, (~£3Bn), Enterprise Finance Scheme(~£2Bn). Small AD plants generating <500kWe, with seaweed at £300/t dwt can return £700k-£1Mpa with build costs of £2M-£3M and ROI <4 yrs, including £5/t for digestate as fertiliser but excluding savings in waste disposal. Larger AD plants generating 2MWe, with seaweed at £150/tdwt can return £2Mpa with build costs of £3M to provide ROI in < 2yrs. Operation of 50 such plants using 2.5Mt seaweed by 2025, with growth of 20% pa to 2030 is feasible. This will require a multi-harvest, high yield, (200t/ha) seaweed farming system (Benchmark Holdings). TCE manage min ~6.6Mha coastal seabed, equivalent to the UK area of arable land, and will licence this to generate Treasury revenue, promote economic growth, job creation and further exploitation of seaweed based on the supply chain economics and the storage system. 2% (132,000ha, 1,320km2) of the coastal seabed producing 200t/ha seaweed would supply up to 26Mt seaweed value ~£390M for AD. To generate the same energy in AD with maize, instead of seaweed (at 22m3 CH4/t), would use 12% UK arable land. TCE will support supply chain development by leasing land for storage, NSMC and Norfolk Council will promote seaweed for biofuel production, CEFAS will lead on marine management. Further exploitation of seaweed in fermentation and energy generation by gasification will be economically enabled and the partners will apply the expertise and knowledge in other IB processes.
Organisations
- Scottish Association For Marine Science (Lead Research Organisation)
- MacroFuels (Collaboration)
- National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) (Collaboration)
- Danish Technological Institute (Collaboration)
- Ceva Sante Animale (Collaboration)
- University of Porto (Collaboration)
- University of Galway (Collaboration)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) (Collaboration)
- Seafarm (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Denmark (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
Maeve Kelly (Principal Investigator) | |
Adam Hughes (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Kerrison P D
Ensilage is suitable for storing cultivated seaweed feedstock for year-round bioprocessing: 12 month chemical and microbial composition study
in GCB Bioenergy: Bioproducts for a Sustainable Bioeconomy
Kerrison PD
(2020)
Comparing the effectiveness of twine- and binder-seeding in the Laminariales species Alaria esculenta and Saccharina latissima.
in Journal of applied phycology
Van Der Molen J
(2018)
Modelling potential production of macroalgae farms in UK and Dutch coastal waters
in Biogeosciences
Wood D
(2017)
UK macroalgae aquaculture: What are the key environmental and licensing considerations?
in Marine Policy
Description | Using a simple process, the composition of seaweed can be stored for up to 9 month. This occurs through the establishing of a lactic acid bacterial communitiy within the seaweed, which inhibit other organisms from breaking down the seaweed. This is an adaption of the ensilage process used in agricultural crops such as grass and sugar beet. we have also developed and tested a modular100x100m grid design of seaweed farm. This is far cheaper than the convential longline method, and requires less anchors and maintenance. |
Exploitation Route | The process of seaweed ensilage will be a vital component in the development of large scale seaweed cultivation for biogas. it allows us to harvest seaweed when the composition/growth are optimal, and then use it constantly over 9mo before the next harvesting period begins. we are also development a guide to optimal harvesting time for ensilage, based on seasonal changes to composition and fouling. |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Agriculture Food and Drink Energy Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
Description | Seaweed Policy Statement Consultation Paper contribution 2015-2016 |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
URL | http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2013/08/6786 |
Description | Binder seeding to improve the economic case of UK macroalgal cultivation (Bindweed) |
Amount | £161,934 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/S004408/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2018 |
End | 10/2021 |
Description | Gametophyte cultivation studentship, led by Philip Kerrison |
Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of the Highlands and Islands |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2017 |
End | 05/2021 |
Title | 1 month lab ensilage experiment |
Description | large scale replicated experiment on 100g samples of seaweed tested various conditions and treatments to ensure optimum preservation |
Type Of Material | Biological samples |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | paper will be publshed. results inform other workpackages |
Title | 12 month barrel experiment |
Description | 60L barrels packed with harvested seaweed and treated using various methods to develop an optimal ensilage method |
Type Of Material | Biological samples |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | paper will be published from this data. Data feeds into other publications under development |
Title | Analytical method development for composition analysis of fresh and ensiled seaweed |
Description | Developed and defined reliable methods for high throughput analysis of multiple components of seaweed and seaweed ensilage including: sugars and carbohydrates (glucose, laminarin, mannitol, cellulose, alginate) total protein, dry/ash weight, organic acids (lactic, butyric, valeric, acetic, formic) |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | this will be included in n invited book chapter publication on analytical methods in 2017 |
Title | Deploying a seaweed farm |
Description | We have designed a previously untested layout for a seaweed farm and overseen its deployment in the Firth of Lorn, near the SAMS lab, Oban. We have now deployed several kilometers of strings seeded with juvenile seaweeds. The new design benefits large scale seaweed culture. This, if successfully brought to harvest, will meet our requirement to supply large quantities (several tonnes) of seaweed for the second (large scale) harvest of the Seagas project. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The notable impact, if the farm is successful, will be growth data from the first dense seaweed plot in the UK, (laid out grid fashion, as opposed to individual longlines). |
URL | http://www.sams.ac.uk |
Title | Preserving the sugar content of harvested seaweeds for later anaerobic digestion |
Description | We have collected data relevant the successful, long term, storage of freshly harvested seaweeds to preserve their gas-yielding capacity upon anaerobic digestion. |
Type Of Material | Biological samples |
Year Produced | 2015 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | we will present a published data once the supporting biochemical analysis is complete |
URL | http://european-biogas.eu/2015/08/12/uk-cpi-works-on-seagas-project-for-biomethane-production-from-s... |
Title | hatchery refurbishment |
Description | Refurbishment of existing seaweed hatchery to increase capacity to 10km |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2015 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | seaweed string has been sold from the hatchery in both 2016 and 2017 to a commerical company |
Description | EUROMARINE APPRISE workshop |
Organisation | National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) |
Department | Biological Station, Roscoff |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Foresight workshop on innovation pathways form macroalgal utilization and potential socio-economic impacts |
Collaborator Contribution | will attend Worshop in may and will contribute economic feasibility data (on harvesting, ensilage and biogas production) developed as part of SEAGAS |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | EUROMARINE APPRISE workshop |
Organisation | National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Foresight workshop on innovation pathways form macroalgal utilization and potential socio-economic impacts |
Collaborator Contribution | will attend Worshop in may and will contribute economic feasibility data (on harvesting, ensilage and biogas production) developed as part of SEAGAS |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | EUROMARINE APPRISE workshop |
Organisation | Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) |
Country | Norway |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Foresight workshop on innovation pathways form macroalgal utilization and potential socio-economic impacts |
Collaborator Contribution | will attend Worshop in may and will contribute economic feasibility data (on harvesting, ensilage and biogas production) developed as part of SEAGAS |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | EUROMARINE APPRISE workshop |
Organisation | Technical University of Denmark |
Department | National Food Institute |
Country | Denmark |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Foresight workshop on innovation pathways form macroalgal utilization and potential socio-economic impacts |
Collaborator Contribution | will attend Worshop in may and will contribute economic feasibility data (on harvesting, ensilage and biogas production) developed as part of SEAGAS |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | EUROMARINE APPRISE workshop |
Organisation | University of Galway |
Country | Ireland |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Foresight workshop on innovation pathways form macroalgal utilization and potential socio-economic impacts |
Collaborator Contribution | will attend Worshop in may and will contribute economic feasibility data (on harvesting, ensilage and biogas production) developed as part of SEAGAS |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | EUROMARINE APPRISE workshop |
Organisation | University of Porto |
Department | Centre Of Marine And Environmental Research |
Country | Portugal |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Foresight workshop on innovation pathways form macroalgal utilization and potential socio-economic impacts |
Collaborator Contribution | will attend Worshop in may and will contribute economic feasibility data (on harvesting, ensilage and biogas production) developed as part of SEAGAS |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Ensilage researchers |
Organisation | Ceva Sante Animale |
Country | France |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Helped to bring together people researching ensilage within a number of European projects,. |
Collaborator Contribution | A meeting has been organised in April 2017 to allow us to coordinate activities and prevent overlap. |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Ensilage researchers |
Organisation | Danish Technological Institute |
Country | Denmark |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Helped to bring together people researching ensilage within a number of European projects,. |
Collaborator Contribution | A meeting has been organised in April 2017 to allow us to coordinate activities and prevent overlap. |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Ensilage researchers |
Organisation | MacroFuels |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Helped to bring together people researching ensilage within a number of European projects,. |
Collaborator Contribution | A meeting has been organised in April 2017 to allow us to coordinate activities and prevent overlap. |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Ensilage researchers |
Organisation | Seafarm |
Country | Sweden |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Helped to bring together people researching ensilage within a number of European projects,. |
Collaborator Contribution | A meeting has been organised in April 2017 to allow us to coordinate activities and prevent overlap. |
Impact | none yet |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | MS-LOT meeting May2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Workshop with Marine Licencing department of Marine Scotland (MS-LOT). Intention to inform them regarding seaweed cutivation development in Scotland. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Marine Biofuel Production Technology, Oceanology International, London. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Invited to give a talk on seaweed cultivation under Seagas at the Oceanography International conference. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | SEAGAS final meeting Sep2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Final meeting to summarise the findings from the project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Scottish seaweed cultivation: from S3EED to SEAGAS. Nordic Seaweed conference, Denmark. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | gave a talk at this seaweed conference, including a summary of SEagas activities |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Seaweed consultation, SAMS - 3 workshops |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | In 2016, we ran three workshops with local and regional people interested in seaweed cultivation under SEAGAS |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Towards Scottish Seaweed Cultivation, Aviemore |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Gave an invited talk about Seagas activities and the future of seaweed cultivaiton at this aquaculture industry meeting |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Towards large scale seaweed cultivation, MBRE 2016, Glasgow. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | gave an invited presentation including work on the Seagas project |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | seaweed cultivation workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Workshop to provide information on update developments in seaweed cultivation int he UK. 40 attendees, mainly seaweed busineses |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2018 |
Description | seaweed outreach workshop Portaferry NI |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | public talk on our seaweed ensilage work |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |