Masdar set to lead major renewable jet fuel study

Boeing has announced that Abu Dhabi's Masdar Institute of Science and Technology will lead a study on the sustainability of a leading family of saltwater-based plant candidates for renewable jet fuel.

The study is being commissioned as part of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group consortium while the institute will examine the overall potential for sustainable, large-scale production of biofuels made from salicornia bigelovii and saltwater mangroves – plants known as halophytes.

Yale University’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Honeywell’s UOP will also participate in the analysis, which will include an assessment of the total carbon lifecycle of biofuels, Boeing said in a statement.

Halophytes can be highly productive sources of biomass energy, thrive in arid land and can be irrigated with sea water, making them suitable for biofuel development and Abu Dhabi a viable location for conducting a lifecycle-analysis study, the company added.

“Boeing and the scientific and academic communities are stepping forward to look at the totality of each renewable fuel source that can help us reduce carbon emissions,” said Billy Glover, managing director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
 
“By working with Masdar Institute to look at these species in a formal research framework, we will better know if certain types of halophytes meet the carbon reduction and socioeconomic criteria that will allow them to become part of a portfolio of sustainable biofuel solutions for aviation.”

The Government of Abu Dhabi founded the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology to research and develop alternative energy and sustainable technologies.
 
A successful outcome of the study will give the initiative an opportunity to expand its portfolio of renewable energy technologies into biofuels that are sustainable and can be grown locally, Dr Sgouris Sgouridis of Masdar said.

The Masdar Initiative aims to create and sustain the world’s first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city, Masdar City, located on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi.

“Masdar City will have access to important production of locally grown food and thus reduce its dependence on carbon-intensive imports,” Sgouridis said. “In terms of the UAE, it would provide an additional significant source of biofuels that would allow the UAE to transition into a less fossil fuel-dependent economy.”

READERS' COMMENTS

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM