Red seaweed
Refined carrageenan
Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum — Carrageenan
The default Run below is Cebu, Philippines, 9.71 kgCO2e/kg gross, Category B. Published values for this ingredient span 4.20 to 13.50 kgCO2e/kg, which is why a number without its production parameters is not worth forwarding.
Species record
- Species
- Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum
- INCI name
- Carrageenan
- Group
- Red seaweed
- Harvest methods
- Cultivated eucheumatoid feedstock. Alkali extraction and spray drying
- Conservation status
- Not assessed by IUCN. Cultivated feedstock.
- Typical uses
- Food hydrocolloid, dairy stabiliser, cosmetic thickener.
- Declared unit
- One kilogram of refined, spray-dried carrageenan powder.
- Typical gross range
- 4.20 to 13.50 kgCO2e/kg, Category B
- Default sourcing region
- Cebu, Philippines, Route distance, Cebu to Rotterdam
- Extraction yield is the dominant parameter. One point of yield moves the number more than the freight leg.
- Alkali and process water are carried in the extraction inputs line.
Calculator
Seven inputs, every one already filled with a regional default. Change the two or three you know. Nothing is submitted and nothing is saved.
Line-item inventory
| Line | Scope | kgCO2e/kg |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest and vessel fuel22.0 kg wet biomass at 0.90 l diesel per tonne2.68 kgCO2e/litre · IPCC 2006 Guidelines Vol. 2 stationary and mobile combustion, AR6 GWP100 · Category B | 1 | 0.053 |
| Drying energy6.33 kWh/kg on the Philippines grid0.6120 kgCO2e/kWh · IEA Emission Factors 2024, national average generation intensity · Category B | 2 | 3.871 |
| Extraction, milling and utilities5.17 kWh/kg on the Philippines grid0.6120 kgCO2e/kWh · IEA Emission Factors 2024, national average generation intensity · Category B | 2 | 3.167 |
| Fuel supply chain, well-to-tank0.020 l diesel upstream0.64 kgCO2e/litre · UK DESNZ conversion factors 2024, WTT diesel · Category B | 3 | 0.013 |
| Harvest gear and cultivation inputsGear, seed and nutrients, amortised. Extraction reagents are itemised separately below0.210 kgCO2e/kg · Published carrageenan process LCA literature, refined route, gross cradle-to-gate. · Category B | 3 | 0.210 |
| Process chemicals, potassium hydroxide0.550 kg per kg finished. Alkali modification of the kappa fraction1.94 kgCO2e/kg · Chlor-alkali potassium route cradle-to-gate LCA, European market average · Category B | 3 | 1.067 |
| Process chemicals, sodium hydroxide0.150 kg per kg finished. pH adjustment before filtration1.12 kgCO2e/kg · Chlor-alkali membrane-cell cradle-to-gate LCA, European market average · Category B | 3 | 0.168 |
| Process chemicals, isopropanol0.350 kg per kg finished. Alcohol precipitation, make-up volume net of recovery1.85 kgCO2e/kg · Propylene-hydration isopropanol cradle-to-gate LCA. Only make-up volume is charged, so graded C · Category C | 3 | 0.647 |
| Process chemicals, diatomite and carbon filter aid0.200 kg per kg finished. Filtration of the cell-wall residue0.45 kgCO2e/kg · Mineral filter-aid cradle-to-gate LCA, calcined diatomaceous earth · Category C | 3 | 0.090 |
| Inbound haul, wet biomass22.0 kg over 65 km by road, Cebu, Philippines0.096 kgCO2e/t-km · GLEC Framework v3.0 default, >32t diesel truck · Category B | 3 | 0.137 |
| Outbound freight, finished ingredient1 kg over 16,400 km, sea freight, container0.016 kgCO2e/t-km · GLEC Framework v3.0 default, deep-sea container · Category B | 3 | 0.262 |
| Packaging0.025 kg kraft multiwall paper sack per kg1.10 kgCO2e/kg · Published European kraft sack paper EPD range, mid-point · Category C | 3 | 0.028 |
| Gross footprint | 1+2+3 | 9.713 |
Every factor and its source is printed in the Report. The full factor set is on the Methodology page.
Gross footprint, cradle-to-gate
Species-specific secondary data with named sources, applied to your stated production parameters.
Scope 1
0.5%
Harvest and fuel
Scope 2
72.5%
Purchased electricity
Scope 3
27.0%
Upstream and freight
Largest lever: drying energy, 3.87 kgCO2e/kg of the total, Category B.
Batch total for 2,000 kg: 19,426.8 kgCO2e
Biogenic uptake
1.42 kgCO2e/kg
Reported separately. Non-permanent. Not subtracted.
Land-based comparison
Published dairy protein LCA range, mid-point. Category C.
Published livestock LCA range, mid-point. Category C.
Bluecarbon Methodology 2026.2, Category B.
Published bovine hide and bone processing LCA range, mid-point. Category C.
Blue Bioeconomy Score: 0.0th percentile within the peer set of 3 red seaweed defaults in this database, Methodology 2026.2.
Get the Report
€390- Line-item inventory, every emission factor with its source
- Gross footprint with its Category grade, and the Scope 1/2/3 split
- Biogenic uptake reported separately, never subtracted
- Peer set and Blue Bioeconomy Score, with the peer set named
- Reduction section, quantified in kgCO2e/kg
- Methodology version, limitations, and the colophon
One ingredient, one Run, Kappaphycus alvarezii and Eucheuma denticulatum, Category B. Nothing recurs.
Nothing was saved. Copy the link to this Run to come back to it.