On many beaches around the world, washed-up seaweed is an eyesore for tourists and local economies. Removing it costs millions, but a start-up on the island state of Barbados has a creative solution: converting the seaweed into car fuel.
The start-up, called Rum and Sargassum, combines wastewater from rum factories with rotting seaweed to produce biogas. This gas can then be used to power cars. This only requires a simple adjustment to the car, comparable to cars that run on compressed natural gas.
The founders came up with the idea after seeing trucks on the beach removing seaweed. In Barbados, seaweed is increasingly washing up on beaches due to rising water temperatures and pollution. As soon as it comes on land, it starts to rot. In addition to the unpleasant odors that come with it, rotting seaweed is harmful to life on and around the beach. Resorts spend enormous amounts of money every year to keep beaches clean, but Rum and Sargassum’s solution offers a more sustainable alternative.
Scaling up is expensive
The company has already managed to get a prototype working. With the technology, the company hopes to eventually fuel 80,000 cars in Barbados, which is about two-thirds of all cars on the island. This would not only prevent millions of tons of CO2 emissions, but also halve fuel costs.
However, scaling up is not without challenges. To produce enough biogas for Rum and Sargassum’s first 300 customers, investments of $7.5 million are required at the time of writing. Still, the team is determined to make its plans come true and is looking for investors. After scaling up in Barbados, the company plans to make the technology available worldwide.
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Source: www.bright.nl
