Cascadia Seaweed Corp. is seeking to explore the economic viability, sustainability, and scalability of secondary product streams derived from the solid residual biomass left after liquid kelp biostimulant production. The project aims to identify potential revenue-generating opportunities that can enhance the company's process efficiency and sustainability. By focusing on the solid residual biomass, the project will assess how these by-products can be transformed into valuable secondary products. This initiative will not only contribute to the company's bottom line but also promote sustainable practices by minimizing waste. The project will involve a thorough analysis of market trends, cost-benefit evaluations, and sustainability assessments to determine the most promising product streams.

Project Phases

Phase 1: Bi-Product Review and Waste Assessment

Objective: Assess the composition, volume, and cost for disposal of the current waste bi‑product (i.e., the "do-nothing" approach).

• Tasks:
• Analyze the solid waste characteristics from the production process.
• Estimate the volumes of waste produced annually.
• Determine chemical and physical properties (e.g., moisture, fiber content).
• Calculate waste management costs (storage, disposal, environmental impact).
• Deliverables:
• Report on bi-product composition, volume, and waste management costs.

Phase 2: Literature Review and Product Identification

Objective: Explore potential applications for the seaweed biomass residuals.

• Tasks:
• Investigate uses in agriculture (animal feed, fertilizers), environmental (biochar), and construction (acoustic panels, bricks).
• Review required processing methods (e.g., drying, pelletizing, pyrolysis, biorefining).
• Identify products with viable market potential at a suitable scale considering volumes of bi‑product generated during biostimulant production and technical pathways to manufacture.
• Deliverables:
• Literature review identifying product applications and processing methods.

Phase 3: Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis

Objective: Evaluate the feasibility of processing the biomass into selected products through CAPEX and OPEX analysis.

• Tasks:
• Choose 2-3 product streams for detailed evaluation (e.g., biochar, animal feed, etc.).
• Estimate capital and operational costs for production.
• Calculate energy and resource requirements for each process.
• Perform a cost-benefit analysis comparing valorization to current waste disposal costs.
• Deliverables:
• Techno-economic analysis with estimated CAPEX, OPEX, and cost-benefit comparison.

Phase 4: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Final Report

Objective: Assess the environmental impact of selected product streams and prepare the final deliverables.

• Tasks:
• Conduct an LCA for each product stream, considering factors like carbon footprint and resource use.
• Integrate the LCA with the techno-economic analysis.
• Finalize the report and presentation.
• Deliverables:
• LCA for each product stream.
• Comprehensive final report synthesizing all findings and recommendations.
• Presentation summarizing key results and recommendations.

Final Deliverables:

1. Final Report: A comprehensive report that includes:

• Overview of the bi-product and its current handling.
• Literature review on product applications.
• Techno-economic analysis with cost estimates.
• Life cycle assessment of environmental impacts.
• Recommendations for Cascadia Seaweed.

1. Presentation: A concise presentation summarizing methodology, findings, and recommendations for stakeholders.