Seaweed energy could help save the world more than solar or wind energy
Researchers and scientists all across the world are looking into the renewable energy sources like wind, solar, tidal for a better future. The US Department of Energy is pushing the future of renewable sources on quite an intriguing form of energy. What they are trying to create is Seaweed Energy by mining out the energy from the ubiquitous seaweed. The US Department of Energy is investing over 1.5 million USD in a couple of projects furthering the research on seaweed as an energy source.
What is seaweed energy?
Seaweed can be processed into a bio-fuel that could be used to power our homes and vehicles. The two projects by the DOE will help develop seaweed farms and explore harvesting methods.
One of the project is being carried out by Makai Ocean Engineering of Honolulu with a 9,95,978 USD funding. They are creating simulation models that the will aid researchers in designing offshore seaweed farms efficiently.
The other round of funding went to the Kampachi Farms of Kailua-Kona who beside developing an offshore seaweed farm are testing out various methods of harvesting out the energy from seaweed. Their funding ranges around 5,00,000 USD
US Senator Mazie Hirono, member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said, “These grants recognize the innovative work being done in Hawaii to research and develop renewable energy resources. This funding will assess the viability of developing seaweed as an energy source, and explore how to use local resources to meet Hawaii’s renewable energy goals.”
Seaweed grows very fast and does not need freshwater, fertilizers or pesticides. Seaweed converts sunlight into chemical energy which can be used in several important applications. The demand for seaweed biomass for high value applications within food and health products (nutraceuticals), cosmetics and animal feed markets is rapidly increasing.
A fossil fuel free future is possible and is actually a need of the hour with the rapid increase global warming.
Source: indiatoday.intoday.in
