Create a bench-level system that utilizes farmed seaweed produced in the united states and converts IT into a domestically produced medium-chain fatty acid (mcfa) product whose primary target is…

The Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy awarded the University of Connecticut a $1.675 million cooperative agreement on October 1, 2026, under the Renewable Energy Research and Development program (CFDA 81.087) to develop a bench-level system converting domestically farmed seaweed into medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) with lauric acid (C12) as the primary product and caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acids as secondary co-products.

The work combines preserved farmed seaweed biomass with arrested anaerobic digestion, selective in-situ volatile fatty acid separation, and catalytic chain-extension technology to upgrade heavy volatile fatty acids into MCFAs. The system targets performance-specification, import-substitution markets including bio-based surfactant feedstocks for fatty alcohol ethoxylates and sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic-ester lubricant base stocks, and phthalate-free plasticizer feedstocks. Co-location of seaweed farming and MCFA production aims to lower production costs, minimize environmental impacts, and strengthen supply-chain resilience of domestically sourced bio-based chemicals, directly supporting U.S. supply-chain resilience priorities by displacing imported coconut-derived oleochemicals from geographically concentrated supply chains rather than competing with fossil fuels on price.

The award obligates $1.675 million with a period of performance through December 31, 2026. Work is performed in Storrs, Mansfield, Connecticut. The University of Connecticut's Office Sponsored Programs administers the award as a non-profit educational research administration office within a land-grant institution.

Create a bench-level system that utilizes farmed seaweed produced in the united states and converts IT into a domestically produced medium-chain fatty acid (mcfa) product whose primary target is lauric acid (C12), with caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acids as secondary CO-products, benchmarked against the fatty-acid profile of coconut oil. The mcfa stream targets performance-specification, import-substitution markets - BIO-based surfactant feedstocks (C12 for fatty alcohol ethoxylates and sodium lauryl sulfate), synthetic-ester lubricant base stocks (C8/C10 polyol esters), and phthalate- free plasticizer feedstocks (C8/C10 esters) - none of which competes with fossil fuels on price; rather, they displace imported coconut-derived oleochemicals from a geographically concentrated supply chain, directly supporting U.S. Supply-chain resilience consistent with affo priorities. We will achieve this goal through a combination of: i) preservation and utilization of local farmed seaweed biomass, II) integration of arrested anaerobic digestion (AAD), selective in-situ volatile fatty acids (VFA) separation, and a catalytic chain-extension cascade that upgrades the heavy (C4- C7) VFA fraction to mcfas, III) strategic CO-location of domestic seaweed farming and mcfa production to lower production cost, minimize environment impacts, and increase supply chain resilience of critical BIO-based chemicals.