Pacific Kelp Co. August '24 NewsletterTaking our kelp across the country! Learnings from drying trials & more!
August 31, 2024
Hello from Ketchikan, Alaska! We have some great updates to share with you this month, but first, make sure you're signed up for our emails by clicking here!
Kelp Drying Trial Update
Pacific Kelp Co. founder Nick checking on the frozen totes of kelp that we drove across the country for our drying and processing trials.
We spent the majority of August harvesting, processing, and driving a few thousand pounds of Alaskan Giant Kelp across the country for our kelp drying trials. We drove our frozen kelp across eight states, visited three different processing facilities and ran our kelp through several different dryers and dewatering machines. We had some successes and many failures, and we learned a ton along the way! Processing equipment and kelp species vary significantly, so it’s essential to test equipment specifically with our Alaskan Giant Kelp. This approach allows us to quickly iterate and identify any major problem areas as we validate potential processing systems.
We're still awaiting nutrient and other compositional testing data on the kelp that we processed, but one of our immediate learnings was that conduction is not a viable mode of drying for our specific type of kelp, especially in a batch system. When dried via conduction, the kelp had a tendency to stick to the walls of the drum and then create an insulating layer that prevented the rest of the batch from properly dehydrating.
Another big learning from our trials was that freezing and maintaining a cold chain for kelp is incredibly costly and logistically difficult! We had our hands full moving kelp through air cargo, picking it up and taking it to short term cold storage facilities, and timing the thawing process so that the kelp was in the right state to be dried at the right time. We now know without a doubt that drying, and not freezing, is the right stabilization process for us as we scale our business!
While conduction-based batch systems did not work for us, we did have success with other styles of dryers - and we met some great connections along the way!
Partnering with Rutgers University for kelp R&D
We are happy to announce that we have partnered with Dr. Yalin Li, professor of Engineering at Rutgers University, on a funded research project titled "SVEAP: Sustainable Value-Added Products from Kelp".The goal of this exciting research project is to examine novel conversion pathways for turning Alaskan Giant Kelp into value-added bioproducts and low-carbon fuels.
In addition to evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of a biorefinery approach, this project aims to demonstrate a significant reduction in carbon intensity when compared to the incumbent products. If all goes well, Dr. Li will produce low-carbon biofuels, along with other sustainable products like alginate, protein, and fucoidan, all from our Alaskan Giant Kelp!
Looking Ahead
While summer is coming to a close in Alaska, we are not slowing down! Seagriculture USA will be hosted in Ketchikan from September 11 to 12th; we look forward to welcoming the entire kelp and seaweed industry to our new home and connecting with entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, investors, customers and more!
Stay tuned for more exciting updates and click here to make sure you're signed up for all of our future newsletters and announcements!
