Abstract
Refining of aquatic biomass to fuels can be achieved by applying existing generic chemical technology. When using seaweed as feedstock the production and pretreatment is simpler than for lignocellulosic feedstocks. However, as seaweed has high water content and at least one third of the carbohydrates are not easily converted to the desired fuel products, the production faces difficulties in obtaining high yields while keeping the energy consumption of separation low. This talk will focus on the challenges in carbohydrate conversion, discuss product alternatives and look into technology options for product recovery.