Integrated biorefinery process for sustainable fractionation of Ulva ohnoi (Chlorophyta): Process optimization and revenue analysis

Abstract

Blue economy, the sustainable and effective use of ocean resources for economic growth, is a major challenge to coastal communities. Marine macroalgae are potentially sustainable feedstock for future food, materials, chemicals, and fuels. For seaweed biorefinery, the fractionation of the biomass to co-produce multiple products is crucial in the efficient valorization of the marine biomass. In this work, we developed a protocol for co-production of six different products from the green macroalga Ulva ohnoi using green extraction methods. A total of 90.31 plus or minus 1.94 percent of the initial biomass was recovered in separated products. The fraction of the recovered products from initial dry weight biomass was 45.42 plus or minus 1.91 percent salts, 3.67 plus or minus 1.38 percent starch, 3.81 plus or minus 1.26 percent lipids, 13.88 plus or minus 0.40 percent ulvan, 14.83 plus or minus 1.06 percent proteins, and 8.70 plus or minus 1.87 percent cellulose. A potential revenue analyses, based on these experimental data and current market prices, suggests that total the revenue fluctuates between US dollar 1.56 and US dollar 3.93 kg sup(?1) of dry biomass and depends on recovered products fraction in the seaweed biomass and products market value.