Xinhua, Brussels :
A European Union (EU)-funded research project has developed advanced textiles that give high yields from floating seaweed farms and allow easy, mechanized cultivation, the EU said Thursday.
Seaweed is an important but under-exploited resource for food and feed ingredients, biochemicals and the production of biofuels, but it has been difficult to harvest efficiently on a large scale.
Farming seaweed on a large scale, made possible by the new textiles, can help create a multi-billion euro industry in Europe-boosting growth and jobs, an EU statement quoted project coordinator Bert Groenendaal of Belgium-based Sioen Industries as saying.
Sioen is one of seven companies involved in the project, along with four research centers.
“The economic potential for seaweed is huge. Businesses are interested in seaweed for many different applications such as food and food additives, animal feed, chemicals and even fuel,” Groenendaal said.
Currently, seaweed is obtained by harvesting wild seaweed or by rope-based cultivation. Neither of these scale up easily as both methods are labor-intensive with relatively low yields.
The project team developed textiles that can support large numbers of seaweed plants without breaking up or attracting unwanted plants or molluscs. Bio-sourced coatings on the textiles protect young seaweed and boost growth.
A European Union (EU)-funded research project has developed advanced textiles that give high yields from floating seaweed farms and allow easy, mechanized cultivation, the EU said Thursday.
Seaweed is an important but under-exploited resource for food and feed ingredients, biochemicals and the production of biofuels, but it has been difficult to harvest efficiently on a large scale.
Farming seaweed on a large scale, made possible by the new textiles, can help create a multi-billion euro industry in Europe-boosting growth and jobs, an EU statement quoted project coordinator Bert Groenendaal of Belgium-based Sioen Industries as saying.
Sioen is one of seven companies involved in the project, along with four research centers.
“The economic potential for seaweed is huge. Businesses are interested in seaweed for many different applications such as food and food additives, animal feed, chemicals and even fuel,” Groenendaal said.
Currently, seaweed is obtained by harvesting wild seaweed or by rope-based cultivation. Neither of these scale up easily as both methods are labor-intensive with relatively low yields.
The project team developed textiles that can support large numbers of seaweed plants without breaking up or attracting unwanted plants or molluscs. Bio-sourced coatings on the textiles protect young seaweed and boost growth.
