The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) was established in Abu Dhabi in 2011 as a not-for-profit research consortium to advance the aviation industry’s commitment to sustainable business practices by developing technology with the promise of producing a clean, alternative fuel supply.

The SBRC was established by Masdar Institute, which later became part of the Khalifa University, with Etihad Airways, Boeing and Honeywell UOP. The founding members were later joined by ADNOC Refining, along with Safran, GE, and Bauer Resources.

The Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) is the flagship project of the SBRC. This project combines an integrated system of aquaculture, halo-agriculture, and mangrove silviculture to produce sustainable biofuels for aviation and seafood.

The first airplane flight fueled with jet fuel produced through SBRC’s SEAS successfully took flight in January 2019.