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Coelho FP, Sampaio EVDSB, Barboza MG, Guedes-Coelho EAC, Costa MMDS, da Silva ECS, Carneiro VAR, Soares BM, de França EJ, Menezes RSC, de Abreu CAM. Renewable Energy from Beach-Cast Seaweed: Calorific Power Heating Studies with Macroalgae. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2025; 14:1005. [PMID: 40219073 PMCID: PMC11990680 DOI: 10.3390/plants14071005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2025] [Revised: 02/20/2025] [Accepted: 02/25/2025] [Indexed: 04/14/2025]
Abstract
Some stretches of the Brazilian coast are regularly subject to a natural process of macroalgae deposition. In urban beach areas, public institutions responsible for cleaning collect this biomass and dispose of it in landfills. When this biomass is exposed to the sun for a long time in the littoral area, a decomposition process begins and causes greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere. Macroalgae biomass is a natural resource that could be used for renewable energy, contributing to meeting the growing demand for low environmental impacts of energy, indicating the possibility of participating in sustainable development. The objective of this research was to evaluate the energetic potential of macroalgae biomass deposited on the Maceió coast; specifically, the combustion capacity of aggregate biomass and pellet biofuel produced with macroalgae. The research, which analysed 13 species, proceeded using a calorimetric pump methodology to determine the power heating value and a mass spectrophotometer to determine the available energetic chemical elements. The result of 8.82 MJ/Kg was similar to the main biomass used in Brazil, the sugarcane bagasse, evaluated at 8.91 MJ/Kg. Aggregated macroalgae biomass in condensed pellets with energetic composites obtained a value of 4823 Kcal/Kg, 1.2% more than the average of terrestrial biomass pellets. Therefore, these results show possibilities to produce biofuel using thermal energy from marine macroalgae biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Pinto Coelho
- Postgraduate Program in Energy and Nuclear Technologies, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE/PROTEN), National Nuclear Energy Commission, Recife 50740-540, Brazil (R.S.C.M.); (C.A.M.d.A.)
- Research Nucleus in Energy Production, National Council for Scientific Research CNPQ, Brasília 70070-010, Brazil
- Surveying and Cartography Engineering Course, Center of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus—(CECA), Rio Largo 57072-016, Brazil
| | - Everardo Valadares de Sá Barreto Sampaio
- Postgraduate Program in Energy and Nuclear Technologies, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE/PROTEN), National Nuclear Energy Commission, Recife 50740-540, Brazil (R.S.C.M.); (C.A.M.d.A.)
| | - Márcio Gomes Barboza
- Civil Engineering Technology Centre, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A. C. Simões, Maceió 57000-000, Brazil;
| | | | | | - Emerson Carlos Soares da Silva
- Aquaculture and Aquatic Ecology, Laboratory of Center of Engineering and Agricultural Science, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus—(CECA), Rio Largo 57072-016, Brazil;
| | | | - Bruno Moreira Soares
- Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation—Proalga Brazil—ICTI, São Paulo 01109-060, Brazil;
| | | | - Rômulo Simões Cezar Menezes
- Postgraduate Program in Energy and Nuclear Technologies, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE/PROTEN), National Nuclear Energy Commission, Recife 50740-540, Brazil (R.S.C.M.); (C.A.M.d.A.)
| | - Cesar Augusto Moraes de Abreu
- Postgraduate Program in Energy and Nuclear Technologies, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE/PROTEN), National Nuclear Energy Commission, Recife 50740-540, Brazil (R.S.C.M.); (C.A.M.d.A.)
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