Bio Architecture Lab and Xunshan Group form joint venture to develop seaweed biorefinery

Bio Architecture Lab (BAL), a U.S. biotechnology firm, announced that it has teamed up with Xunshan Group, which grows brown seaweed, to develop an integrated brown seaweed biorefinery for fuels and chemicals. Xunshan’s seaweed, together with BAL’s conversion technology will be utilized to produce low-cost carbohydrate for production of fuels, chemicals, animal feed and other co-products. Feasibility studies at sites selected for the biorefinery and a seaweed farm along the coast of China’s Shangdong province are already being conducted.
The partnership will help BAL in the commercialization of its technology, and will enable Xunshan to increase its seaweed production. The joint venture is looking at developing international markets for production of renewable fuels, chemicals and other products using carbohydrate from brown seaweed. (October 30, 2012)