Recently there has been a significant increase in the amount and frequency of seaweed blooms of the holopelagic brown macroalgae Sargassum fluitans and natans (hereafter Sargassum) in the Atlantic Ocean. These blooms impose a major burden on residents (e.g. rotting beached Sargassum, unpleasant odor, toxic gases), the local economy of countries with affected coast lines (e.g. impacting tourism and aquaculture, costs for remediation), and have a significant impact on the environment (e.g. beaches and coastal areas) and local marine wildlife. Here we present a Techno-Economic Analysis to demonstrate how this burden can be turned into an economic, social and environmental asset. The suggested process involves sustainable ship-based harvesting of excess biomass (up to 6.3 MT·year⁻¹) and using hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and established fuel refining processes to deliver renewable liquid fuels. Sea-based harvesting of Sargassum addresses the primary cost impediment for algae-based renewable fuel production, reducing capital and operating costs by 78% and 66% respectively compared with currently modelled land-based microalgae renewable fuel production processes. The modelled approach charts a path to cost competitive renewable fuels that reduce CO₂ emissions while mitigating the economic, social and environmental problems caused by these large Sargassum algae blooms. The financial analysis of the process yielded an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) between 2.4% and 28.1% based on the scenarios analyzed. The process could generate up to 8500 bbl of crude oil per day profitably at US$43 bbl⁻¹ (10% IRR), equivalent to 470 ML of diesel or jet fuel per year as well as biofertilizers and recycled nutrients, employ around 200 direct personnel and create up to 1000 indirect jobs.

近来，大西洋中的椭圆形棕色大型藻类Sargassum fluitans和natans（以下称Sargassum）的海藻开花量和频率显着增加。这些花开给居民带来了沉重的负担（例如，使海滩搁浅的烂Sar鱼），难闻的气味，有毒气体），受海岸线影响的国家的当地经济（例如，影响旅游业和水产养殖业，修复成本），并对环境（例如海滩和沿海地区）和当地海洋野生动植物产生重大影响。在这里，我们提出技术经济分析，以说明如何将这种负担转化为经济，社会和环境资产。建议的过程包括基于船用的剩余生物量的可持续收获（最高6.3 MT·year ^-1），并使用水热液化（HTL）和已建立的燃料精炼过程来输送可再生液体燃料。海基收获蒿子解决了藻类可再生燃料生产的主要成本障碍，与目前建模的陆基微藻可再生燃料生产流程相比，分别减少了78％和66％的资本和运营成本。建模方法描绘了一条成本低廉的可再生燃料成本的途径，该可再生燃料可减少CO ₂排放，同时减轻由这些长尾藻藻类大量繁殖所引起的经济，社会和环境问题。根据所分析的方案，对该流程进行的财务分析得出的内部收益率（IRR）在2.4％至28.1％之间。该工艺每天可产生多达8500桶原油，利润为43桶^-1美元 （IRR为10％），相当于每年470 ML的柴油或喷气燃料以及生物肥料和可循环利用的养分，雇用大约200名直接人员，最多可创造1000个间接工作。