Biotech company BPH plans to extract critical minerals, gold from seaweed

Biotechnology company BPH Global (ASX: BP8) has found gold and copper concentrations in seaweed, as part of an ongoing research program to potentially extract precious and base metals from seawater.

The firm’s hypothesis is that seaweed can absorb higher mineral concentrations from polluted waters compared to pristine waters, acting like a sponge for these minerals. This would mean seaweed can act as a “natural miner” as it can absorb valuable metals from seawater. 

The latest assays, conducted by Temasek Innovation Holdings (TPIH) in Singapore in collaboration with Gaia Mariculture, revealed gold concentrations of up to 14.85 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) and copper concentrations of up to 10.88 mg/kg in seaweed cultivated in clean, filtered seawater from the island of Sentosa.

“The presence of gold and copper, in addition to the previously identified cobalt and silver, marks another exciting milestone in our research,” managing director Matthew Leonard said in a statement. “These results further support our view that seaweed has the potential to act like a sponge for base and precious metals in seawater. We look forward to investigating this further in Phase 2 of the R&D programme.”

Phase 1 of BPH Global’s research focused on cultivating Sesuvium portulacastrum seaweed in a controlled laboratory environment using water free from industrial or urban pollution. Initial assays confirmed significant levels of silver and cobalt, prompting additional testing for gold and copper.

Building on these findings, Phase 2 will shift research to brackish, polluted waters in Johor, Malaysia, to explore whether mineral absorption increases in less pristine conditions.

BPH Global is among a growing number of companies investigating seaweed’s potential for mineral extraction. Blue Evolution, a California-based regenerative ocean farming company that merged with Blu3 last year, is developing seaweed farms to extract critical minerals, including rare earth elements, recognized as strategic resources by the US government.