Processed seaweed and winemaking waste co-fermentation for biogas extraction: Pilot study

Abstract

Marine macroalgae (seaweed) conventionally has been used for environmental and commercial purposes; recently a growing interest has been focused also on seaweed detritus as a sustainable/cost-efficient feedstock for biogas (biomethane) anaerobic production. A wide set of factors influence the yield of biogas - nevertheless, the recent paper emphasizes pretreatment of processed algal material (substrate) with winemaking waste (inoculum) as a particularly promising project for biogas production. Relevant pilot study carried out at the Liepaja University clearly demonstrates advantages of such a combination (i.e. co-fermentation of mixed substances) for biofuel feedstock design: winemaking waste considerably increases biogas (biomethane) output from seaweed substrate. Still, the results of these preliminary experiments have to be supported by further research.