Research carried out at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has found that fish and shrimp cultivated in seawater produce nutrient-rich wastewater which, if used to fertilise oil-rich halophyte plants, yields a harvest suitable for aviation biofuel production.
Masdar CEO, Dr Ahmad Belhoul, said the research will have huge repercussions for producing food and fuel in water and arable land constrained regions. He said: "Considering that about 20% of the world's land is desert and 97% of the world's water is saltwater, this approach turns a land and water resource scarcity problem on its head by creating a bioenergy solution applicable in countries around the globe."
Halophyte plants thrive in barren desert conditions and do not require fresh water or arable land to grow. After the fertilisation process, the waste is passed through mangroves before being expelled back into the sea, further removing nutrients and providing valuable carbon storage.
The goal of the project is to establish the bioenergy process as a commercially viable and sustainable system with respect to essential food and fuel production, suitable land use, reduced carbon emissions and wastewater clean-up.
News
UAE pioneering jet biofuel project
A contract to instigate the world's first bioenergy project that will use desert land and seawater to produce fuel has been awarded to Abu Dhabi-based International Mechanical & Electrical Co.
