Sargassum seaweed is growing out of control in many regions – it washes up on beaches in huge amounts. Utilizing a new technique, that rotting organic matter could soon be converted into biofuels and other products.
The process doesn’t require the waste seaweed to be removed from the salt water. Instead, it begins with two types of catalysts being added to a vat of the vegetation. These chemicals release sugars from the seaweed, that can be used to feed a special yeast which in turn produces a substitute for palm oil.
The catalysts prepare the seaweed for the next phase of the process, which involves subjecting the material to high temperatures and pressures. The end products are a bio-oil that can be further processed into fuels, along with what is described as a high-quality, low-cost fertilizer.