ERA-NET: BlueBio - Total Value Chain Optimization of Seaweeds Furcellaria lumbricalis, A bioeconomic ALGAE demonstration

The main goal of this project was to reduce waste, increase local competence based work places and ensure sustainable utilization of biological resources. Objectives in this project were to determine the best practices for cultivation, harvesting, handling, conservation, and transport of seaweed to secure the availability of required amounts of high-quality products, primarily the pigments. We aim to develop new sustainable protocols for the development of a biorefinery based on maximal extraction followed by extraction of high value proteins, carrageenan and lipids, if possible. Side stream biomass was used for extraction of biostimulants. Further we evaluated the composition of the biomass iteratively after optimization of processing and test the stability of the pigment, and protein quality. We were using the most promising products from the biorefinery process in product prototypes and evaluating the possible valorisations. Polysaccharides and lipids were also evaluated. End use at lower value products. The LCA partners assessed the sustainability of the biorefinery concept in a comprehensive manner, covering the impacts in three sustainability pillars (i.e. environmental, economic, and social) caused by introducing a valorization system for red seaweed. The sustainability assessment focused on the four value chains proposed as main added value in the proposed biorefinery concept, namely: the pigment, protein, carrageenan, and biostimulants. Actual data from the biorefinery concept developed in the project were used to decrease the number of uncertainties or assumptions to evaluate the actual biorefinery setup objectively; Comparison of the data with reference systems to provide potential sustainability thresholds; To evaluate the potential opportunity to improve the overall sustainability of the proposed biorefinery concept under the light of bio- and circular-economy perspective in order to optimize the higher valued to of several bioproducts meantime minimize the overall side waste streams. The objective of the project management was to ensure the timely and quality completion of the project within budgetary framework of the project and to ensure that communication and dissemination of the project is performed in accordance with the Communication and Dissemination plan. The two SME’s, Vetik and Hyndla delivered seaweed and different protocols for extractions have been tested in lab. The rigid structures of the macroalgea led to unforeseen challenges with extractions, therefor fractions of pigments and proteins were not delivered in time. However, new green scalable technologies for extraction were implemented in the project. Models for a sustainable biorefinery concept has been delivered.

WP1: Begge SME'ene har forbedret sine metoder for innhøsting av både vill- og kultiverte røde makroalger i pilotskala med nytt utstyr. Vetik har også optimalisert metoder for maksimal ekstraksjon av pigmentet ved hjelp av pre-kutting, vannkverning, separasjon og filtrering, samt funnet metoder for å konservere biomassene. Av komponentene i biomassen har Vetik valgt ut at de skal satse på produksjon av biostimulanter. WP2: Nye separasjons- og filtreringsteknikker som også kan oppskaleres i fabrikkskala har blitt utviklet som et første viktig steg for å separere ut komponenter. Et rødt fargestoff som ikke er det godt beskrevne fargestoffet phycoerythrine, ble separert ut. Egenskapene til dette fargestoffet må imidlertid analyseres i nye forskningsprosjekt. WP3:den biokjemiske sammensetningen av ferske makroalger, både Furcellaria lumbricalis og Schyzimenia valentinae,har blitt analysert.

TACO Algae will take a circular economy approach to evaluate two different red algae species in existing SMEs. The first one is currentlyharvested wild, while the other is cultured in a sustainable new cultivation system. The circular economy approach focuses on supply chainoptimization and minimization of waste. Optimizations are performed with respect to extraction, characterization and utilization of redpigment, protein, lipids, carrageenan and bioactive compounds. The goal is to utilize all constituents and most importantly to find an optimalprocessing approach to yield the highest amount of the most valuable product, and then valorize the remaining components in the bestway. As the pigments are currently viewed as the highest value component, we will first extract pigment with highest stability andinvestigate methods to obtain a colorant that can be utilized both in aqueous and lipid-based food products. The pigment quality, stabilityand suitability for integration in various product matrixes will be investigated. The lipid fraction will be characterized with respect to fattyacids composition to evaluate valorization, while carrageenan as already been marketed as texturizer and algae has also been used asbiostimulants. Finally, bioactive compounds e.g. polyphenols will be investigated with respect to composition and antioxidative capacity. Lifecycle assessment will be used to evaluate the most economically, societal and environmentally sustainable process, both with respect toorder of isolation, volume of biomass to different markets, seasonal possibilities for biomass valorization, as well as the effect on societalinfrastructure and the impact on the environment. The overall goal is to reduce waste, increase local competence based work places andensure sustainable utilization of biological resources