Kelp May Be New Source of Biofuel

In the near future, harvesting seaweeds called kelp could provide companies with the necessary raw material to create unconventional biofuels. The materials could be collected and processed at a price that would allow for wide-scale applications.

Efficiency would be increased even further if the kelp (Laminaria digitata) were to be harvested during the summer months, when it thrives. Finding efficient and cheap biofuels is a complex task, one that the seaweed could help experts complete.

Interestingly, the chemical composition of this plant varies with the seasons. Summer is the only time when kelp could make for a biofuel good enough to match the performances of terrestrial materials.

In a new study, experts at the Aberystwyth University reveal that the most important factors dictating the efficiency of kelp as a biofuel are the carbohydrate levels the plant contains when harvested.

During the month of July, the plant produces the largest amounts of carbohydrates. The presence of these chemicals in kelp enables the release of the largest amounts of sugars possible. It's the sugar that is ultimately used for the production of biofuel.

“The storage carbohydrate and soluble sugars get converted into ethanol in the fermentation process, so we need as much as possible. Metals can inhibit the yeast too so we also want these to be as low as possible,” AU expert and lead study researcher Dr. Jessica Adams explains.

“Seaweed biofuel could be very important in future energy production. What biofuels provide that other renewables such as wind power cannot is a storable energy source that we can use when the wind drops,” she goes on to say.

The expert and her team collected kelp samples from the Welsh coast once every month for a prolonged period of time, in a bid to determine whether carbohydrate concentrations vary, and when.

Details of the research will be presented on July 4, at the annual conference of the Society for Experimental Biology. The meeting is held in Glasgow, Scotland, EurekAlert reports.

Now that the feasibility of kelp has been proven, AU experts expect to see other researchers take to the oceans in search for alternatives to sugar cane and agricultural byproducts. At this point, these are the main ingredients used to manufacture biofuels.