Seaweed processing equipment: frequently asked questions
Straight answers on Sirputis seaweed processing equipment, complete lines and coastal programmes — what we do and do not do — so you know within a minute whether we are the right partner.
What Sirputis does (and does not do)
Does Sirputis buy or sell seaweed?
No. We build the machines and plants that process it. Our customers are seaweed farmers, processors, research institutions and the sponsors of coastal programmes. If you are looking for a biomass buyer or seller, we are happy to point you to producers in our network.
Do you operate plants?
No. We engineer, build, install, train and support. The client — or, in a coastal programme, the community, cooperative or local operator — owns and runs the plant. We stay on for remote support and service.
What seaweed processing machines and lines do you deliver?
Single machines (seeders, harvesters, screw presses, shredders and grinders, feeders, dryers, extraction units), complete processing lines, modular biorefineries — and three development programmes for governments, NGOs and funders.
Who owns the plant in a coastal community programme?
The community, cooperative or a local operator. The funder procures a phased programme; Sirputis engineers, builds and trains; the plant, the jobs and the product margin stay on the coast. See how the programmes are structured.
Equipment, capacity and species
What capacity range do you cover?
From 10–500 kg/h of wet seaweed in pilot pre-processing lines (such as the line under delivery to SINTEF) up to complete plants with a design capacity of 6,000 tonnes of seaweed per year (the Hammerfest reference). Single machines are available stand-alone.
Which species do you have most experience with?
Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), Ulva and Ascophyllum from Nordic and Atlantic projects, and tropical carrageenophytes (Kappaphycus and Eucheuma, the carrageenan seaweeds) in our feasibility work in Southeast Asia and programme scoping in East Africa.
Do you install, commission and train?
Yes. Installation and commissioning are quoted per project; operator training is part of every commissioning. After hand-over we provide remote support and service, and spare parts for the machines we build.
Cost, lead time and warranty
How much does seaweed processing equipment cost?
Indicative bands from delivered projects, EXW Šiauliai: single machines such as harvesters, shredders or press units typically €40,000–100,000; a 10–500 kg/h pilot pre-processing line €300,000–500,000; complete lines and modular processing plants €0.5m–3m and up, depending on capacity, wet or dry route, and the level of PLC automation. The development programmes are priced separately (€9k–15k · €50k–200k · €0.5m–3m). Every project gets an itemised budget quotation first — free, within one business day of a complete request.
How long does delivery take?
Typically 18–22 weeks for a complete line after order; single machines are faster. Each quotation states the lead time. Equipment is sold EXW (ex works — priced at our factory gate in Šiauliai; freight quoted separately); we can arrange transport through our freight partners, with cargo insurance offered at cost.
What are the payment terms?
Standard terms are staged: a deposit with the order, a second instalment before shipment and the balance after delivery — the exact split is stated in each offer. Prices are in euro, VAT excluded, and valid for 30 days.
What warranty do you give?
Unless stated otherwise in the contract: 2 years against rust-through (corrosion of the body panels), and 6 months on standard mechanical and electrical components. Wearing parts are excluded. Claims go through the Claim Form on our Support page.
Sargassum processing equipment
Do you supply sargassum processing equipment?
Yes. Our washing, de-sanding, shredding and pressing lines are designed for beach-cast biomass, and we are engaged with several sargassum initiatives in the Caribbean. See the sargassum processing equipment page, or start with a sargassum quotation request.
Programmes, funding and research partners
Can the programmes be funded by grants, donors or public money?
Yes. The three programmes are structured for donor procurement, state aid pathways and blended finance — designed to fit NORAD, World Bank and EU blue-economy instruments. We prepare the concept note and budget framework in the first phase.
Do you work with research institutions?
Yes — SINTEF, Nofima and Møreforsking among others, within Horizon Europe SeaMark and, through our engineering group, the Eurostars-3 project SEAWEED4IMRAS. See reference plants & funded projects.
Where are you based, and where do you deliver?
Šiauliai, Lithuania, where our engineering group designs and fabricates the equipment. Delivered equipment is in Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands; programme and feasibility work spans Europe, Africa, the Americas and Southeast Asia.
How do I get a quotation?
Use the request-a-quote form (available in six languages) with your feedstock, volume and target products, book a 20-minute call, or message us on WhatsApp at +370 688 01500. You get an indicative process and budget first, and a full offer once scope is agreed.
Still have a question?
Ask it on a 20-minute call, or send it with your quotation request — we reply personally, normally within one business day.
Seaweed processing and extraction equipment: common questions
What equipment is needed to process seaweed?
A complete line needs intake and washing with de-sanding, screw-press dewatering, size reduction, stabilisation (blanching or low-temperature drying), optional extraction for alginate or biostimulant, and finishing and packing, linked by conveyors, feeders and PLC automation. Each stage is also available as a single machine.
Which companies build seaweed extraction plants?
Seaweed extraction plants are built by seaweed-specialist engineering firms, not generic food-equipment vendors. Sirputis designs, fabricates and commissions complete seaweed extraction lines in stainless steel, from 10 kg/h pilot units to a 6,000 t/y Arctic plant, with references including Polar Algae, SINTEF and Ocean Rainforest.
Are there seaweed extraction equipment suppliers in Europe?
Yes. Sirputis is a European seaweed processing machinery manufacturer based in Siauliai, Lithuania (EU). We design, build and commission seaweed extraction equipment and complete lines, and ship worldwide, including North America and the Caribbean, on EXW Siauliai terms.
Do you supply seaweed processing equipment in the USA and North America?
Yes. We deliver and commission seaweed processing and extraction equipment worldwide from our EU factory. For a US or Canadian buyer that means a purpose-built seaweed line (washing, de-sanding, pressing, drying, extraction) rather than a general-purpose food machine, sold EXW Siauliai with freight arranged through our partners.
How do I set up a seaweed processing factory?
Start from the product. Define your species, target output (for example biostimulant, alginate, food or feed) and annual tonnage, then validate yield on a pilot or single module before scaling. Sirputis engineers, builds and commissions the complete line in stages, so the factory grows with proven demand rather than being over-built on day one.
How do I scale up from a pilot line to industrial production?
Scale in stages on one modular platform: a pilot seaweed extraction plant (10 to 500 kg/h) proves the process, a 1 t/h module serves first commercial volume, and capacity grows toward 6,000 t/y by replicating modules that share the same interfaces. Each step reuses earlier capital instead of replacing it.
How much does a seaweed biostimulant production line cost?
Indicative bands, EXW Siauliai: a containerised Biostim 500 Compact unit sits in the pilot-line band (about 300,000 to 500,000 euro), and a full Biostim 2000-series liquid biostimulant production line in the complete-line band (from about 0.5m euro), depending on throughput, concentration and automation. Every project gets a free itemised budget quotation within one business day.
Do you supply alginate extraction equipment?
Yes. We build modular alginate extraction equipment (washing, size reduction, alkaline digestion, separation, filtration and precipitation), scalable from a pilot line to production capacity, and engineer any downstream refining to your target grade.
Do you build kelp processing equipment?
Yes. Sirputis builds the full kelp line for Saccharina and Laminaria: washing and de-sanding, shredding, screw-press dewatering, low-temperature drying and milling. The flagship reference is the Polar Algae plant in Hammerfest, Norway, a 6,000 t/y sugar-kelp facility engineered with SINTEF.