Salt Water Plant Salicornia is Latest Potential Source of Biofuel
The salicornia plant: the next source of biofuel? (image: sci.sdsu.edu)
The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi is partnering with Boeing and biofuel specialist Honeywell UOP for a one-year study to explore the potential for sustainable, large-scale production of biofuel made from the oil of saliconia, a green plant that grows in saltwater, reports The National.
Salicornia, a member of the halophyte family, is a hearty plant that thrives in arid land, such as the coastal desert of Abu Dhabi, and is irrigated with seawater. Boeing said that the plants also have the potential to deliver high yields of acre per land, while their seeds contain a sizable amount of oil.
The global biofuels market is expected to double from 2009 to 2015 and continue to grow thereafter, according to a new global analysis by Hart’s Global Biofuels Center. The “holy grail” of biofuel development is source plants that do not compete with food crops and do not require large amounts of water or energy to cultivate.
Jennifer Holmgren, General Manager of UOP Renewable Energy & Chemicals, commented, “We must continue to evolve biofuels to incorporate feedstocks that are not only sustainable, but actually regenerative and can restore the ecosystems where they are found.”
Corn ethanol and soybean diesel are falling out of favor as energy crops made from algae, jatropha and other non-food woody plants are garnering international attention and investment. Global food needs are expected to roughly double by 2050, putting expanding demand for space to grow food crops and biofuel feedstocks on a collision course.
Another focus of the Madgar Institute research is saltwater mangroves, which can be found on Abu Dhabi’s north coast. The study will assess the environmental impact of cultivating halophytes for use in aviation biofuel.
Dr.G.M.Narasimha Rao says: says:
Angiosperms such as Jatropa and algae such as Botryococcus and halophyte such as salicornia are sources for bio-fuels but how far these programmes are viable for commercial production of oils in large scale
Valero Adds Jatropha to Its Biofuel Business | HeatingOil.com says: says:
[...] to pests and drought, jatropha grows well in marginal soil and produces oil-rich pods. Along with salicornia, which grows in saltwater, and algae grown in vertical farming units, jatropha is currently being [...]
Josh Garrett says: says:
Katey-
We get our info from many different sources, almost all of which are online and available through web searches. A good start would be to visit the sites on our blog roll (”What We’re Reading Now,” in the right-hand column on the site) and follow links there to other sources. The Web has infinite news about oil, energy, and green technology to offer–it just takes some time and patience to find it all!
katey says: says:
were on earth do you get info i want some for my website.