Acronym MacroBiomass
Category
Aquaculture
Title A knowledge base for large scale cultivation of macroalgae biomass in Norway Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Jorunn Skjermo Coordinator email Jorunn.Skjermo@sintef.no
Coordinator institution
SINTEF-SFH - SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture (Norway)
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2010 End year 2012 Funding (€) € 948,065 Website https://prosjektbanken.forskningsradet.no/en/project/FORISS/199391?Kilde=FORISS&distribution=Ar&chart=bar&calcType=funding&Sprak=no&sortBy=date&sortOrder=desc&resultCount=30&offset=30&ProgAkt.3=NATURNAER-Natur+og+n%C3%A6ring Summary Macroalgae, or seaweeds are rich in carbohydrates and represents a valuable biomass resource for production of biofuels. Norway has a long coast line and a huge potential for development of systems for ocean farming of seaweeds. Despite the existence of large amounts of information about Norwegian seaweed species, fundamental knowledge needed for selection of optimum cultivation conditions is lacking. The main objective of this project is to provide information needed to define optimum cultivation technology for seaweeds. The project will generate new, fundamental knowledge needed for large scale cultivation of seaweed biomass aimed for bioethanol production in Norway. The project will study different strategies for production of seedlings of two seaweed species - Saccharina latissima and Alaria esculenta with respect to sporophyte quality and suitability for large scale cultivation on ropes. Different ecotypes will be studied, and optimization of the cultivation conditions will be carried out. The seasonal variations of the carbohydrate composition are considerable due to variations in photosynthetic activity and nutrient availability. High nutrient levels, achieved by cultivation on nutrient rich sites close to fish farms (IMTA) are advantageous for high biomass productivities, but may affect the carbohydrate content and composition. One of the aims of the project is to elucidate how high biomass productivity can be achieved, when maintaining a high content of easily convertible carbohydrates, in cultivation of the two seaweed species. The project will further suggest a strategy for harvesting of the cultivated biomass to obtain a highest possible content of fermentable carbohydrates (storage polysaccharides), and design a sea farm for optimal exploitation of the available environmental conditions for seaweed biomass production.
The project will provide information that is necessary to develop cost effective cultivation technology of seaweed for the use of fermentation to biofuels. One prerequisite is to develop controlled year round cultivation of high quality seedlings that can grow in open sea sites for biomass cultivation. For the biomass productivity as well as the carbohydrate content and composition, the effects of nutrient levels, light intensities and hydro-dynamic forces must be explored.
Keywords
Open sea aquaculture;
Technology;
Biofuel;
Longline systems;
Marine Region
76
Not associated to marine areas
0
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