New Biofuel Agreement Uses Saltwater Crops

Posted by Matt Hopkins|19 January 2010

ABU DHABI, Saudi Arabia — Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Etihad Airways and UOP Honeywell (Renewable Energy & Chemicals) have signed an agreement with the Masdar Institute to formally launch the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Project (SBRP), which will use integrated saltwater agricultural systems to support the development and commercialization of biofuel sources for aviation, and co-products, according to Arab News. The agreement will establish a major research and demonstration project dedicated to sustainable energy solutions.

“This project will for the first time demonstrate the commercial viability of using integrated saltwater agriculture to provide biofuels for aviation, and is consistent with the overall vision of Abu Dhabi to achieve a seven percent target of renewables by 2020,” said provost of the Masdar Institute, John Perkins.

An independent research university working in renewable energy development, the Masdar Institute will lead SBRP operations and provide both laboratory
and demonstration facilities in the carbon-neutral Masdar city, which is in the early stages of construction. The aquaculture-based farming system will focus on mangrove forests and Salicornia, a plant that thrives in salty water. Sometimes known as Sea Asparagus or Saltwort, the S. Europa variety is edible and considered a delicacy.

The SBRP team will focus on an integrated seawater agriculture systems approach, an efficient system for producing liquid and solid biofuels. The team’s initial work will be to undertake research projects that combine the arid and saline-rich environment of Abu Dhabi with saltwater farming practices. The institute expects that the system will capture and hold carbon from the atmosphere and enlarge habitats to increase biodiversity, while simultaneously releasing fresh water for higher value uses (drinking water, industrial use and food products).