News

Khalifa University’s Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) Recognized by Global Water Awards   The integrated Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS), the flagship project of Khalifa University’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium and the world’s first bioenergy facility using saltwater to produce seafood and aviation biofuel in the desert environment of the UAE, has been recognized as “Industrial Project of the Year - Distinction” by the Global Water Awards.   This SEAS project was recognized by the Global Water Awards because it is a unique project characterized by cross-industry co-operation to implement sustainable biofuel production and create an agricultural alternative…

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has committed to purchasing carbon offsets, to completely neutralize the CO2 emissions of its flagship “Greenliner” 787-10 aircraft for a full year of operations in 2021. The initiative is the start of the airline’s journey to reduce CO2 emissions to 50 percent of 2019 levels by 2035, and to achieve full net zero emissions by 2050 – a first for any airline in the Gulf and one of the first to set a target of this scale in the industry. Separately the airline will implement an additional voluntary offset program for passengers…

The UAE is at a very interesting junction as it relates to its aviation industry. In many ways, the UAE has demonstrated its capacity to dream big and deliver on its promises, from the launch of its mission to March, to becoming a global leader in energy investment and infrastructure. The UAE is ranked 3rd in the world in terms of both Revenue-Ton-Kilometers (RTKs) and Revenue-Passenger-Kilometers (RPKs), two of the most important metrics for calculating the impact of aviation, just behind the USA and China. From an internal perspective, the UAE has invested an estimated USD 270 billion (AED 1…

A delegation of the Fuel Task Group (FTG), a working group within the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) visited the SEAS research facility on February 9th as part of the annual meeting activities and discussions hosted by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in Abu Dhabi.

Bauer Resources, partner of the SBRC, is currently supporting the research activities of the SBRC by exploring the agronomic performance of Salicornia bigelovii irrigated with produced water from the Nimr oilfields in the southern Oman desert. This effort is aimed at helping guide the engineering design for the SEAS scale up.

The SBRC team contributed to the organization of a one-day seminar on Aquaculture Research and Collaboration UAE-Japan. This event was organized in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ) through Kindai University. The seminar took place on Sunday 17 of February 2019 at the Masdar Campus. The goal of this seminar was exploring potential research collaboration areas between the two countries while also providing an opportunity to bring together aquaculture stakeholders in academia, government and industry from UAE and Japan. The agenda of the Seminar included a session on the Current State of Aquaculture in the UAE, followed…

The first commercial flight using SPK biojet derived from the Salicornia oilseeds (season 2016/2017) took place on the 15th of January of 2019. The 787 aircraft operated by Etihad Airways, flew from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam, marking a major milestone in the goals of the SBRC. The important thing about this exercise was to serve as a proof of concept for the SEAS platform and being able to establish the entire value chain in the UAE as it brought together the efforts of many people and companies.

First Seminar on 5 August Titled ‘The Challenge for Sustainable Aviation Fuels Beyond COVID-19’ to Cover Key Subjects   Khalifa University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with key aviation industry players Etihad Airways, the General Civil Aviation Authority, The Boeing Company, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), today announced the launch of a webinar series to emphasize the need for establishing the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Initiative (SAFI) in the UAE.  The SAFI–UAE Webinar Series will include several virtual panel sessions that will take place over a period of 8 – 10 weeks. The series will be supported by…

Researchers at KU’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) have  spent the past few weeks tilling, leveling, and replenishing the water levels in its integrated Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS), the flagship project of SBRC and the world’s first research facility to grow both food and fuel using desert lands irrigated by seawater. They are preparing to plant the fourth season of Salicornia plants, whose oil-rich seeds are harvested to produce aviation biofuel. “This season will be dedicated to increasing the yields of the oilseed crop based on experience gained from previous seasons by implementing a different planting strategy and…

By Dr. Alejandro Rios Innovative solutions are part and parcel of a genuine green economy. The impact of environmental degradation brought forth by human actions done in the name of progress over decades has given rise to a new socio-economic development paradigm that highlights the need to equally promote social equality, environmental sustainability, and economic stability - all of which are closely intertwined with each other. This paradigm, called green economy, did not come from a vacuum but rather as a result of the mounting need to adopt a new strategic approach that drives significant growth but with careful regard…

Researchers at Khalifa University’s innovative SEAS facility explore ways to improve crop yields and in turn, increase their understanding in the cultivation of fish and halophytes Khalifa University’s Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS), the world’s first research facility to grow both food and fuel using desert lands irrigated by seawater, has received a major upgrade to improve the pilot facility’s performance and the healthy growth of its salt-tolerant plants and fish. Back in January, the oil-rich seeds of the plants grown in the SEAS facility, which is the flagship project under KU’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), were used…

KU’s Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) Demonstrates its Potential to Produce Food and Biofuel to Support National Goals The UAE has many economic targets and visions for its prosperous and innovative future – joining the top 10 in the Global Food Security Index by 2021, growing its aviation sector while meeting international sustainability commitments, achieving economic diversity – but all of them must work within one major limitation: freshwater scarcity. The country’s total annual renewable freshwater resources – meaning available groundwater that recharges with rainfall -- are estimated at only 150 million m3 while its total water withdrawal was estimated…

Khalifa University, Etihad Airways, Boeing, ADNOC, Safran, GE and BAUER Resources celebrate a major milestone in developing a comprehensive sustainable aviation fuel value chain The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a non-profit entity established by Masdar Institute that is part of Khalifa University of Science and Technology and supported by Etihad Airways, The Boeing Co, ADNOC Refining, Safran, General Electric and BAUER Resources, announced the world’s first successful commercial flight on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 using locally produced sustainable fuel. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam marked a major milestone in the development of a clean, alternative aviation…

The world’s first research facility to grow both food and fuel, using desert lands irrigated by seawater, began operations today on a 2-hectare site in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Operated by Masdar Institute, the facility, is funded by the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a group advancing the aviation industry’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions by developing a clean, sustainable and alternative fuel supply. “We live in a resource-constrained world where the access to energy, water and food are interlinked,” said Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Interim Provost of Masdar Institute, a research-based university in Abu Dhabi, and a…

In a world of changing climate, limited fresh water and farmland, and rising population, the need for a sustainable approach to meet the world’s growing water, energy and food demand is perhaps the most important challenge of the 21st century. Such an approach will require a range of innovations and technologies that can enable humankind to progress and advance without further straining the planet’s natural resources or increasing global greenhouse gas emissions. Masdar Institute’s integrated Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS), a pilot-scale research facility that aims to grow seafood and produce biofuel with saltwater and desert land, is one…

The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) – a non-profit consortium supported by founding members Etihad Airways, and Boeing [NYSE: BA], as well as Takreer, SAFRAN and General Electric [NYSE: GE] – today announced it is organizing the first International Seawater Energy and Agriculture Forum 2016 in Abu Dhabi.   To be held from 1 - 2 November 2016 at the Masdar Institute Multi-Use Hall, the event will include the forum and a workshop on aquaculture and halophytes, to be organized in collaboration with the University of Arizona. The forum will seek to create a knowledge-sharing platform for experts in aquaculture,…

The UAE’s pioneering project to tap into the energy of salt-loving plants to produce a sustainable green fuel was highlighted at the Bioenergy and Development conference held last week in Berlin, Germany, which was co-organized by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS). Dr. Alejandro Rios Galvan, Director of the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) and Professor of Practice, Engineering Systems and Management, Masdar Institute, shared with the conference audience the importance of developing biofuels that do not jeopardize food security or cause social, economic and environmental consequences. “The SBRC’s innovative biomass-to-energy research project…