Marine Bio-Energy: what does third generation marine biofuels mean for society?

There is an increasing scientific and industrial interest in improving the production of seaweeds that can potentially be used as a feedstock for biofuels. In the meantime, aquaculture and energy industries are subject to resistance regarding the scale of development or the use of certain technologies.

The objective of my project is to explore social challenges for the production of biofuels from farmed seaweed by exploring the context of existing marine activities and renewable energy technology. It also aims to develop a method to assess local focus points to characterize social license to operate for seaweed biofuels prior to the development at an industrial level.

For this purpose, I am using surveys and qualitative interviews with communities, marine industries and policy makers.

Supervisors

Dr Adam Hughes (Director of Studies)

Dr Suzi Billing

Dr John Doran, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Ireland

University

University of the Highlands and Islands

Funder

This project has been funded by the EU's INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). It is part of the Bryden Centre, which supports research into marine renewable energies with cooperation with industry.

Project period

Oct 2018 - Jan 2022