Scottish Association for Marine Science

Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom
The Biomara Project. The Sustainable Fuels from Marine Biomass project, Biomara, is a new UK and Irish joint project that aims to demonstrate the feasibility and viability of producing third generation biofuels from marine biomass. It will investigate the potential use of both macroalgae and microalgae as alternatives to terrestrial agri-fuel production. The practicalities of using algal biomass as a competitive, sustainable biofuel source will be considered in concert with wide stakeholder engagement, whilst environmental impacts of algal cultivation and extraction will be core considerations of the project. High rainfall and poor agricultural land in areas of western Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland severely limit cereal and oil seed cultivation, restricting the potential production of terrestrially derived biofuels. Biomara aims to provide the region with a sustainable fuel source by providing locally produced, renewable and relatively cheap low-impact fuel that may help to support traditional ways of life. Macroalgae. Seaweed cultivation and harvest is now an established process in Scotland. Macroalgal spores are collected from ripe plants then seeded onto strings. Here the spores germinate to form tiny plants, which are transferred to sea after two months then harvested six to eight months later. The mature macroalgae can be used to generate methane via anaerobic digestion or to produce ethanol by fermentation. Microalgae. The Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa (CCAP) at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) holds the largest algal culture collection in Europe, some 2.700 strains. During the Biomara project, wild strains of microalgae characterised by high oil content and high stress resistance will be screened to identify those capable of sustained growth in outdoor conditions. Initially these will be grown on a small scale at SAMS. Additional work will focus both on industrial sites and on artificial blooms with fixed conditions.