RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Sargassum Sustains Inventors and Innovators
“We need to have a sustainable way of collecting Sargassum, and so for us, that’s out in the deep. We’re not using beached Sargassum. We wash and weigh and pretreat it … From the biogas, you can
Sargassum seaweed has the potential to become an
invaluable resource, according to a growing body of research at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. While it is viewed as a disruptor and smelly nuisance in some circles, ongoing research identifies the brown algae as a key component in an alternative to fossil fuels and in products that boost plant production. This has major implications for the energy and agricultural sectors in Caribbean states. The biofuel and agrochemical solutions complement past research conducted at the Cave Hill campus that has seen the seaweed being incorporated into cosmetics and personal hygiene products.
Dr. Legena Henry
I n one of the latest and most Henry , a Cave Hill lecturer, has since established a business - Rum and Sargassum Inc. The Barbados-based biofuel company was founded in 2021 and utilises rum distillery wastewater and Sargassum seaweed, among other local waste materials, to produce fuel. “We’re taking Sargassum seaweed with rum distillery wastewater in specific ratios and adding some kind of inoculum (a source of bacteria) and have it run through a process over time (anaerobic digestion), successful developments, the organic material has been used to help create a biofuel to power vehicles. Visionary Dr. Legena and at the end of 30 days, we see our gas levels increasing. Different formulae produce different amounts of biomethane per gramme,” the founder and Chief Executive Officer explained. The intention is to harvest the Sargassum before it reaches the shores via a system that uses catamarans equipped with conveyor belts.
upgrade and inject into generators that will send electricity to the national grid, [a system] Barbados already has, or you can upgrade and drive cars and trucks.”
The renewable energy expert said a provisional patent has been
secured for the fuel with the application process underway for a full patent. In the meantime, the company has been collaborating with the Barbados National Oil Company Ltd. (BNOC) to set up a four-car pilot to display the product’s effectiveness. The initiative has secured support from a number of agencies, including the Inter-American Development Bank , the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network , Venture For ClimateTech , and HIT RESET Caribbean (Harnessing Innovative Technologies to Support Resilient Settlements on the Coastal Zones of the Caribbean). The innovation was one of four
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