This platform provides information and knowledge about the Flanders Hydraulics' areas of expertise in 'hydraulics and sediment', 'harbours and waterways', 'hydraulic structures', 'water management' and 'coastal protection' - ranging from Flanders Hydraulics' employees with their expertise, the curriculum of this institution, to publications, projects, data (in the long term) and events in which Flanders Hydraulics is involved.
The present production capacities of natural seaweed stocks and the need to develop monoculture techniques for selected species of macroalgae have been reviewed earlier (Boalch, 1980; Jacques et al., 1980; Wise, 1981). The basic structural option to accommodate the seaweed lies between an offshore or onshore facility. In this paper we describe the most promising coastal structure, and analyze the commercial maturity of such structures. Two main themes are developed: what are the possible economic and environmental advantages of such a cultivation for a country such as Belgium? And can one draw on research into the extraction of methane gas from such algae using anaerobic digestion? We also touch upon the possibilities for electricity production from biomass, and draw conclusions as to the economic justification of such projects: are they a viable alternative to traditional beach collection of natural seaweed stands?
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