The Macrofuels – Third-Generaration biofuels from seaweed is a Horoizon2020 project.

MacroFuels aims to produce advanced biofuels from macroalgae, commonly known as seaweed.
The targeted biofuels are ethanol, butanol, furanics and biogas. The project will achieve a
breakthrough in biofuel production from macroalgae by:

Increasing biomass supply by developing a rotating crop scheme for cultivation of seaweed, using native, highly productive brown, red and green seaweeds, in combination with the use of advanced textile substrates resulting in a year round biomass yield.

Improving the pre-treatment and storage of seaweed and to yield fermentable and convertible sugars at economically relevant concentrations (10-30%).

Increasing bio-ethanol and bio-butanol production to economically viable concentrations by developing novel fermenting organisms which metabolize all sugars at 90% efficiency.

Increasing biogas yield to convert 90% of the available carbon in residues by adapting the organisms to seaweed.

Developing thermochemical conversion processes of sugars to furan-based fuels.

Performing an integral techno-economic, sustainability and risk assessment of the entire seaweed to biofuel chain.

Read more about the large Macrofuels project here.