Mexico Turns Sargassum into Raw Material for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(MEXICO) Mexico is moving fast to turn a persistent coastal problem into a strategic energy solution, advancing a nationwide plan to convert sargassum into sustainable aviation fuel. In a major policy step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on August 6, 2025 published a new classification in the Official Gazette of the Federation that adds sargassum to the National Fisheries Charter as a fishing resource with development potential. That legal shift unlocks commercial permits to collect and process the seaweed and opens the door to industrial projects that can supply the country’s aviation sector with low-carbon fuel.

It also reframes the seaweed from trash to feedstock, allowing Mexico to tie coastal cleanup, green jobs, and airline decarbonization to a single, coordinated effort. Officials say the broader strategy will be detailed in a National SAF Roadmap due by the end of 2025, led by the Federal Civil Aviation Agency. The plan aims for domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030, with sargassum identified as a key feedstock alongside other biomass sources.

Legal and institutional changes

The new classification was validated by the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca). With that validation:
– Sargassum collection can be organized under standard fishery management tools.
– The state can issue permits, set technical harvest rules, and track volumes using established methods.
– Sargassum enters the same legal space as other marine resources, easing supervision and data reporting.

For beach towns weary of seasonal cleanups, the change means a legal pathway to build supply chains connecting collection crews, transport firms, processing plants, and airlines that will buy sustainable aviation fuel.

National strategy and targets

Key points of the emerging strategy:
– A National SAF Roadmap is due by the end of 2025, led by the Federal Civil Aviation Agency.
– The roadmap targets domestic SAF production by 2030.
– A sargassum fisheries management plan is in development to guide sustainable harvests and protect marine ecosystems.

Analysts stress the need for large capital flows and predictable policy signals to meet the 2030 goal. Estimates suggest roughly $49 billion in U.S. investments may be needed in Mexico (2025–2050) to build conversion plants and related infrastructure, with another $204 billion regionally across Latin America.

Scale, urgency, and environmental risks

The timing reflects both urgency and opportunity:
– The Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network reported a record 37.5 million metric tons of sargassum in the Caribbean in May 2025, with projections reaching 50 million tons by June.
– Mexico removed over 44,000 tons from beaches and nearby waters this year.

These volumes strain local budgets and harm tourism when left unmanaged, but they also supply raw material for large-scale fuel production. Environmental agencies warn that decaying seaweed releases toxic gases and can carry heavy metals. Converting it into energy reduces those risks while putting waste to productive use.

Pilot projects, partnerships, and infrastructure

Quintana Roo is the leading test case:
– In June 2025, Governor Mara Lezama announced a multi-purpose facility to monitor, collect, and convert sargassum into biofuel and biomethane.
– The project is supported by Dutch Clean Tech and Oceanus International, using Dutch and Mexican biodigestion and biomethane technology.
– The plan includes three new wastewater treatment plants in Cancún’s hotel zone.

Partnerships:
– Mexico signed cooperation with Brazil to leverage its biofuels experience.
– Dutch firms bring waste-to-energy and coastal sanitation expertise.

Industry example:
– Nopalimex, a Mexican bioenergy firm, noted processing 500 tons of sargassum per day could yield about 20,000 cubic meters of biogas—roughly equal to the fuel sales of a busy Mexican gas station in a single day.

Technical conversion chain (simplified)

1. Detection: Satellite tracking and local networks identify sargassum mats offshore and on beaches.
2. Collection: Authorized vessels and equipment gather biomass in nearshore waters or on land.
3. Pre-treatment: Sorting and removal of contaminants (sand, plastics, salt).
4. Conversion:
   • Biodigestion → biogas (methane)
   • Fermentation → ethanol
5. Refining: Ethanol and captured gases are refined via established pathways (e.g., alcohol-to-jet, Fischer–Tropsch) to produce SAF.
6. Blending & delivery: Outputs are blended with conventional jet fuel and delivered to airports under applicable fuel standards.

Safety, quality, and environmental safeguards

Scientists caution against using sargassum for consumer goods because of contamination risks (heavy metals). They recommend energy production as the safest large-scale use.

Important safeguards:
– Plants must meet strict air and water emissions rules.
– Independent testing will verify energy content and emissions profile.
– Collection must avoid sensitive habitats and turtle nesting seasons.
– Monitoring data will be used to adjust operations in real time.

These steps are not optional: airlines cannot use fuel that does not meet exacting specifications, and plants must operate within environmental standards.

Economic and social impacts

SEMARNAT frames the initiative as part of a broader circular economy push. Instead of repeatedly paying to haul away seaweed, the government aims to convert it into energy and other bioproducts.

Costs and potential benefits:
– Quintana Roo officials estimate cleanups previously cost the state the equivalent of 11% of local GDP—about US$2 billion per year—when counting direct and indirect losses.
– Turning sargassum into fuel and biomethane can create new income streams for coastal communities, cleaner beaches, and healthier waters.
– Formalizing collection may move informal cleanup crews into regulated, better-paid roles with training, safety, and benefits.

Community and industry responses:
– The Seas We Love (NGO) says the charter update gives investors legal certainty for funding processing facilities.
– Riviera Maya Hotel Association called the move a “turning point.”
– Hotels support the plan because it ties cleanup to a stable supply chain rather than an emergency expense.

Financing, markets, and incentives

Key financing levers:
– Incentives to close the price gap between SAF and conventional jet fuel during early years.
– Long-term offtake agreements to provide predictable revenue for lenders.
– Legal clarity around sargassum collection helps make feedstock contracts enforceable.

Analysts note that regional cooperation and stable incentives—rather than immediate strict quotas—are likely to produce more reliable supply, avoiding the price spikes seen when mandates outpace production.

Potential scale of SAF from sargassum

Research suggests:
– When combined with other biomass (e.g., wood waste), sargassum could yield up to 78 million gallons of SAF per year, enough to cover about 2.6% of the U.S. 2030 SAF goal (illustrative figures).
– This scale highlights potential regional impact—especially for routes connecting the Caribbean, Central America, and the United States.

Roles of agencies and stakeholders

Primary roles:
– SEMARNAT: environmental safeguards and circular economy policy.
– Conapesca: enforce fishery rules and ensure sargassum collection does not harm other marine resources.
– Federal Civil Aviation Agency: write the National SAF Roadmap and coordinate with airports/carriers.
– Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: oversee the National Fisheries Charter and legal definitions enabling permits.
– State governments (notably Quintana Roo): manage logistics, community engagement, and tourism coordination.

What to watch next (near-term milestones)

Watch for three markers in the coming months:
1. Formal publication of the sargassum fisheries management plan—rules for sustainable harvest and data reporting.
2. Release of the National SAF Roadmap—research priorities, incentives, and timelines.
3. Announcements from the Quintana Roo facility on processing volumes and fuel output.

These milestones will indicate whether the vision moves into steady operations and real fuel deliveries.

Tracking legal texts and official notices

Legal updates are published in the Official Gazette. The August 2025 classification was recorded there; readers can consult the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) for current rules and future updates on the National Fisheries Charter entry for sargassum, collection permits, and processing regulations.

Final considerations

• The conversion of sargassum into SAF presents a practical pathway to turn a recurring environmental and economic burden into fuel, jobs, and cleaner coasts.
• Success depends on coordinated policy, financing, environmental oversight, and community engagement.
• If the National SAF Roadmap stays on schedule and financing aligns, Mexico could begin delivering meaningful volumes of SAF from sargassum to airports before the decade closes.