PhD Student Wants A&B to Explore Sargassum Seaweed to Produce Fuel

Antiguan and Barbudan PhD student Shamika Spencer believes that a project to transform Sargassum seaweed into a fuel for electric vehicles could become a global initiative.

Spencer, a student at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus in Barbados, is one of several individuals leading a groundbreaking initiative to convert foul-smelling seaweed into an eco-friendly solution. This represents a major achievement for the Caribbean region.

As one of the original team of five inventors involved in the innovation being commercialized by Rum and Sargassum Inc., founded by her PhD supervisor, Dr. Legena Henry, Shamika is helping to lead the charge in innovative research. The other inventors include Dr. Legena Henry (Primary Inventor), Dr. Nikolai Holder (graduate of UWI Cave Hill), Ms. Aria Goodridge (graduate of UWI Mona Campus), and Ms. Brittney McKenzie (graduate of UWI Cave Hill Campus).

Spencer recently participated in an event called Test Drive Zero , hosted by Rum and Sargassum Inc. at Guinea Plantation in Barbados on September 17, 2024, which showcased the exciting potential of using biogas derived from Sargassum seaweed as a fuel source for charging electric vehicles. “We demonstrated that an electric vehicle could be run on our fuel,” she told Antigua News during an interview a few days ago.

“In this project, my role has been preliminary. I used different quantities of rum distillery wastewater and Sargassum seaweed to determine which ratio would produce the most biogas over time. These tests usually span a 30-day period. This experience has been inspiring and rewarding,” she said.

Spencer believes that small-scale work can lead to real-life solutions that can eventually address global issues. “I also believe that Caribbean islands like Antigua and Barbuda should explore the use of Sargassum seaweed as a fuel because it isn’t native to the Caribbean; it is an alien invasive species that has been affecting us for years. It is very difficult to control the volume of the seaweed around,” she explained.

She emphasized that safely removing the seaweed from the island’s beaches will have tremendous benefits for the island’s tourism sector. “It could enhance our tourism product. I do also believe it could be a global venture,” she admitted.

Last year, Spencer had the opportunity to participate in a semester exchange at the University of San Diego, where she collaborated with four undergraduate students who successfully produced biogas from locally harvested Sargassum. The University of San Diego has decided to continue the project.

Listen to the full interview below