A new Danish macroalgae project (Acronym MAB3) financed by the Danish Strategic Research Council presents an integrated macroalgae biorefinery concept. It was started from march 2012 and will continue for the next 4 years (2012-2016). Initial studies on the first harvested materials of wild Laminaria digtata (harvested during the summer 2012 from Limfjorden in Denmark), including cultivation, pretreatment and bioethanol set-up and trials will be presented in this presentation. The macroalgae substrates were screw-pressed to dewater and the algae biomass were fractionated before storage by ensiling (with lactic acid bacteria) or simple drying. Pretreatment was carried out using wet-milling and enzymatic hydrolysis in accordance with 1G bioethanol technology from corn. Different commercial enzyme mixtures for fully or partly hydrolysis of algae sugar polymers into monomers were tested and conversion of the differently pretreated macroalgae biomass into ethanol by fermentation were compared. The protein contents and nutrient salts in residues from ethanol fermentation trials were characterized for potential fish feed.

A first-step scenario for sustainability and feasibility assessment will be presented for this innovative process of biorefining of value-added algae proteins derived directly through fermentation processes of algae sugars to bioenergy carriers.