Complete seaweed processing lines · engineered & built in Šiauliai
Complete seaweed processing lines — from 10 kg/h pilot to 6,000 t/y plant
One seaweed processing line, every stage a Sirputis module: intake and washing, screw-press dewatering, size reduction, stabilisation, optional extraction, finishing and packing — commissioned where the seaweed is.
Pilot 10–500 kg/h · Standard module 1 t/h · Plants to 6,000 t/y · AISI 316/L product contact
We provide end-to-end seaweed processing solutions — from cultivation and harvesting to full industrial processing and final product preparation. The workflow is always the same: seeding → cultivation → harvesting → processing → final product. What changes is capacity, the wet or dry route, and how much automation you want.
How a complete seaweed processing line works
Read the diagram left to right. Wet biomass enters at intake; the screw press splits it into a press liquid (the biostimulant or extract route) and a press cake (the fibre, feed or dried-input route). Every arrow is a stage we build, and every stage can be bought alone.
Explore the stages of a seaweed processing line
Seeding systems
Precise, scalable seeding for rope-based cultivation — up to 3 km of grow line per hour.
Cultivation systems
Modular rope-based farming systems for marine biomass production.
Harvesting solutions
Blade-free water-jet harvesting that preserves the holdfast for regrowth (patented 2025).
Wet seaweed processing
Washing, de-sanding, transport, screw-press dewatering and stabilisation.
Biostimulant production equipment
Extraction, filtration, concentration and formulation systems.
Containerised solutions
Compact modular processing units — the Biostim Compact family.
Sargassum processing
Washing, de-sanding, shredding and pressing lines for beach-cast biomass.
Capacity tiers — from pilot line to industrial plant
| Tier | Throughput | Typical scope | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot pre-processing line | 10–500 kg/h wet | Washing, feeding, blanching, cooling, grinding, conveying, pressing, packing — research and product development. | SINTEF pilot line (2026) |
| Standard module | ≈ 1 t/h wet | The Sirputis Standard Module — one reference design, fabricated in Šiauliai, adapted per species and route, deployed in months. | Modular biorefinery guide |
| Industrial plant | to 6,000 t/y design capacity | Wet and dry lines, materials handling, automation — a complete seaweed processing plant. | Polar Algae, Hammerfest (delivered 2023) |
Indicative price bands, lead times (18–22 weeks) and warranty are in the seaweed processing equipment FAQ. Every line is quoted itemised, EXW Šiauliai.
Case: a 6,000 t/y seaweed processing plant above the Arctic Circle
- 01
Two lines, one plant
A dry-seaweed line and a wet-seaweed line delivered to Polar Algae at NorSea Polarbase, Hammerfest (70.6°N), for start-up in 2023. - 02
Built for the Arctic
Stainless-steel construction, in-house PLC automation and commissioning on site — the same engineering behind every Sirputis line. - 03
Expanded in 2026
Further dry-line, wet-line and installation stages ordered in 2026 and in delivery. See the reference →
How complete seaweed processing works
- Seeding: controlled application of spores onto cultivation substrates ensures uniform growth and predictable yields.
- Cultivation: rope-based systems enable high-density biomass production in open water.
- Harvesting: mechanised harvesting improves efficiency while preserving regrowth potential.
- Processing: washing, stabilisation, drying, grinding and extraction, depending on the final product.
- Final product: prepared for food, biostimulant or industrial applications.
Why choose Sirputis processing lines
- End-to-end integration: from cultivation to final product in one system.
- Modular design: scalable to your production capacity — add a module, not a new plant.
- Energy efficiency: heat-pump drying and optimised systems reduce operating cost.
- Hygienic design: AISI 316/L product-contact stainless steel.
- Seaweed-specific: built only for seaweed and marine biomass — see delivered seaweed processing plants.
Related seaweed processing equipment
Let's build your seaweed processing line
Send feedstock, volume and target products — you get an indicative process flow, footprint and an itemised budget quotation, normally within one business day.
See delivered seaweed processing plants — 6,000 t/y wet and dry lines in Hammerfest, the SINTEF pilot line — on the plant references & funded projects page, and lead times and warranty in the FAQ.
Seaweed processing plant cost
Seaweed processing plant cost depends on capacity, wet or dry route, and the level of automation. Indicative bands from delivered Sirputis orders (ex works Siauliai, VAT excluded): a pilot seaweed extraction plant at 10 to 500 kg/h is about EUR 300,000 to 500,000, a complete seaweed processing line or modular plant runs from EUR 0.5M to 3M and up, and single machines start near EUR 40,000. Every project is quoted itemised within one business day.
How to scale up seaweed extraction from pilot to industrial production
Scale up in stages on one modular platform. Start with a pilot seaweed extraction plant (10 to 500 kg/h) to prove yield and product quality on your species. Add a standard 1 t/h processing module once demand is confirmed, then expand toward an industrial plant of up to 6,000 t/y by replicating modules. Because every stage shares the same interfaces, each step builds on earlier capital instead of replacing it.
Turnkey seaweed processing plant, from a seaweed specialist
A turnkey seaweed processing plant from Sirputis covers the whole line: intake, washing, de-sanding, screw pressing, drying, milling and optional extraction, engineered, built and commissioned as one system. Unlike generic food-equipment and separation suppliers, Sirputis builds only for seaweed and marine biomass, with a 6,000 t/y plant delivered above the Arctic Circle in Hammerfest, Norway. See our delivered seaweed processing plants.
Related reading: for the full industry map — market size and growth, the leading players at every stage, and the research, standards and funding ecosystem — see our guide to the global seaweed value chain.
How we are different
Seaweed specialists who build the line, not just supply a machine
Seaweed is not a generic feedstock. Salt, sand and high moisture defeat equipment that was designed for other industries and reused for kelp. When you go looking for seaweed processing equipment, you are really choosing between three very different kinds of supplier.
| Kind of supplier | What they provide | What they do not do |
|---|---|---|
| Generic food or process equipment suppliers | Individual machines for cutting, milling or separation, built for many industries and adapted to seaweed. | Design and build a complete, seaweed-specific processing line or plant as one integrated system. |
| Seaweed ingredient producers | Finished seaweed products and extracts such as alginate, sold as ingredients. | Supply the equipment or the plant so you can process your own biomass. |
| Seaweed-specialist equipment and plant builder Sirputis | The complete line and modular biorefinery, engineered for seaweed and built in-house: washing, de-sanding, pressing, drying, milling and extraction. Single machines through full plants. | Leave you to integrate mismatched parts, or lock you into buying the end product. |
We design, produce and automate the whole line ourselves, from conveyors and screw presses to PLC control, sized for your species, capacity and dry-matter target.
Delivered across Europe and beyond, including an Arctic-proven 6,000 t/y plant in Hammerfest, Norway, with references such as Polar Algae, SINTEF and Ocean Rainforest.