Opportunities and challenges for seaweed in the biobased economy.
The unique chemical composition of seaweeds and their fast growth rates offer many opportunities for biorefining. In this article we argue that cascading biorefinery valorization concepts are viable alternatives to only using seaweeds as carbohydrate sources for the fermentative production of biofuels. However, many challenges remain with respect to use of seaweeds for chemical production, such as the large seasonal variation in the chemical composition of seaweeds.
Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands (ECN), Biomass & Energy Efficiency, Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE, Petten, The Netherlands. Electronic address: vanhal@ecn.nl.
Jaap W
JW
van Hal
Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands (ECN), Biomass & Energy Efficiency, Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE, Petten, The Netherlands.
W J J
WJ
Huijgen
Wageningen UR, Food and Biobased Research (WUR-FBR), Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
A M
AM
López-Contreras
D056804:Biofuels; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005285:Fermentation; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development*
D056804:Biofuels; D002241:Carbohydrates
acetone butanol ethanol (ABE); carbohydrates; cascading valorisation; mannitol; seaweed, biorefinery