Potential of seaweed as a feedstock for renewable gaseous fuel production in Ireland

Resource depletion and mitigation of climate change are the driving forces to find alternatives to fossil fuels. Seaweeds (macroalgae) have been considered as a promising alternative source of biofuels due to higher growth rates, greater production yields and a higher rate of carbon dioxide fixation, than land crops. A comparatively easily depolymerized structure, lack of need of arable land and no fresh water requirement for cultivation, make seaweed a potential feedstock for gaseous biofuel production. Biomethane potential of seaweed is greatly dependent on its chemical composition that is highly variable due to its type, habitat, cultivation method and time of harvest. Saccharina latissima and Laminaria digitata are the highest biomethane yielding Irish brown seaweeds. Seaweed harvested in July (northern hemisphere) was estimated to give gross energy yields in the range 38-384 GJ ha−1 yr−1; higher values are dependent on innovative cultivation systems. An integrated model is suggested where seaweed can be co-digested with other feedstock for the sustainable production of gaseous fuel to facilitate EU renewable energy targets in transport.