A Caribbean nation is turning a slimy beach ‘menace’ into an opportunity

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🗞️ Driving the news: Grenada is leading an ambitious regional effort to transform sargassum seaweed — an annual environmental and economic menace — into a source of renewable energy, fertilizer, and green products
• With support from the EU and growing private-sector interest, the island nation plans to process 10,000 tons of sargassum by 2026
• Startups like SarGas are already converting sargassum into biofuel, powering bakeries and eyeing electricity generation for the national grid

🔭 The context: Since 2011, massive blooms of sargassum — fueled by rising ocean temperatures and nutrient runoff — have inundated Caribbean shores each summer, affecting tourism, fisheries, and coastal health
• Removing the decaying algae costs millions annually and emits methane when dumped
• Grenada’s strategy, developed with partners such as Último Recurso and Climate Analytics, seeks to convert this burden into an asset through biogas generation, sustainable fertilizers, and even cosmetic ingredients

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Repurposing sargassum aligns with climate goals by reducing methane emissions, cutting diesel use, and enhancing regional energy security
• Bioenergy derived from local seaweed can replace imported fossil fuels, reducing costs and emissions while supporting circular economies in vulnerable island states
• However, technical and financial barriers — from heavy metal content in seaweed to the cost of bio-refineries — highlight the need for targeted investment and infrastructure

⏭️ What's next: Grenada is poised to select pilot companies this summer to begin scaling sargassum processing
• Efforts will also focus on forecasting systems, floating barriers, and international partnerships to stabilize supply chains
• Meanwhile, startups like SarGas aim to expand production capacity, and international firms are exploring higher-value exports

💬 One quote: “We shouldn’t just see sargassum as a menace, but as an opportunity.” – Jerry Enoe, Grenada’s special envoy for oceans

📈 One stat: Grenada’s first planned sargassum-to-energy plant could process up to 8,000 tons of seaweed per year, generating electricity while avoiding the emissions of approximately 2,000 cars

See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like Ocean Infinity

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