CULTIVATION BENEATH THE SURFACE

Seaweed Solutions AS is a Norwegian cleantech company engaged in large-scale seaweed cultivation. Seaweed cultivation is a billion-dollar industry with a fast growth cycle; it takes only 3-4 months to grow from 1 cm to 2 meters in length. Seaweed is also highly sustainable, because it absorbs CO2 while adding oxygen to the water. Each ton of seaweed captures 2kg nitrogen and 120kg CO2, for an annual total sequestration of 720,000 tons CO2, or 0.018% CO2. This is equivalent to the amount of GHG emissions avoided by recycling almost 250,000 tons of waste.

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This ability to sequester CO2 combined with its fast growth cycle make seaweed an ideal candidate for biofuel. The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel, both of which have massive environmental impacts due to land, fertiliser and pesticide use, just to name a few. The only challenge of using seaweed as a biofuel is that a large volume of seaweed is needed forthat purpose, which means that modern and cost efficient farming and harvesting methods must be implemented.

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There are many seaweed cultivation companies worldwide, but there are incredibly few with a patented solution for low cost large scale cultivation and harvesting. SES’s internationally patented “Seaweed Carrier” enables the cultivation of kelp on a specially designed sheet-like structure that mimics a large seaweed plant. The Seaweed Carrier enables cultivation in deeper and more exposed waters.

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Currently, SES’s seaweed does not produce large enough volumes for biofuel production, but it is currently being used by the food industry as an ingredient in burgers and other B2C products. It’s an environmentally friendly and nutritious product with a healthy microflora for the gut, and can be used as an ingredient in animal feed, health products, and seasonings. It’s high in fiber, protein, and has 70% less sodium than salt.

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The company also operates a seed and hatchery business, offers farming partnerships, and engages in research and development throughout the seaweed value chain.