Masdar achieves milestone in field of sustainable aviation biofuels

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ABU DHABI / WAM

The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a non-profit entity supported by Etihad Airways, Boeing, Takreer, Safran and General Electric on Saturday announced that its flagship project, the Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS), has reached a critical milestone in the development of sustainable aviation biofuels through the first harvest of the biofuel feedstock.
Masdar Institute is a part of the Khalifa University of Science and Technology.
Dr. Alejandro Rios G., Director of the SBRC, led a team of Masdar Institute researchers in harvesting the first crop of the biofuel feedstock, Salicornia, which is a local salt-tolerant and oil-rich plant. The harvesting took place at a two-hectare SEAS pilot facility in Masdar City, where seafood and sustainable biomass are being cultivated using saltwater and desert land to contribute to the UAE’s sustainable food and fuel
security.
Commenting on the development, Dr. Steve Griffiths, Interim Executive Vice President for Research at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said, “In achieving this key milestone, the SBRC is closer to establishing a truly sustainable model for aviation fuel production using only our local resources. The success of the SEAS pilot facility and the collaborative research effort that has supported it exemplifies our commitment to providing sustainable solutions to the UAE’s food
security and energy needs.”

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