Operations began this week at the world’s first research facility to grow both food and fuel, using desert lands irrigated by seawater.
The two hectare site in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is operated by Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and is funded by the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC).
The research facility uses coastal seawater to raise fish and shrimp for food, whose nutrient-rich wastewater then fertilises plants rich in oils that can be harvested for aviation biofuel production. The salt-tolerant halophyte plants thrive in arid, desert conditions and don’t require fresh water or arable land to grow. In the last step of the system, wastewater is diverted into a cultivated mangrove forest, further removing nutrients and providing valuable carbon storage, before the naturally filtered and treated effluent is discharged back into the sea.
“Research and innovation underpin the UAE’s ability to overcome environmental and social challenges, such as food and water security, while protecting our ecosystems, from our coastlines to our deserts,” said HE Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE minister of climate change and environment. “This project will not only sustainably produce bioenergy, but also offer a pathway to grow our aquaculture industry, which supports food independence.”
Today, the UAE imports roughly 90% of its food. This is predicted to increase 300% over the next decade, if left unchecked. But the challenge of food security is also an unprecedented opportunity to advance ideas and innovations that are both sustainable and economically viable.
“As the planet’s population approaches nine billion people, we must advance technologies that enable sustainable and manageable food production,” said Dr Kevin Fitzsimmons, professor of environmental science at the University of Arizona. “The innovative facility in Abu Dhabi is a showcase of how cross-sector cooperation can lead to breakthrough research with the potential to deliver both food and aviation fuel – and do so in a sustainable, scalable way.”
More than 2,000 commercial flights have used sustainable aviation biofuel blended with conventional petroleum since renewable jet fuel was approved for commercial use in 2011.
The goal of the research facility is to demonstrate the viability of an integrated bioenergy production system with respect to essential food and fuel production, suitable land use, reduced carbon emissions and wastewater clean-up. If the technology proves viable at this smaller-scale, further expansion will continue with the ultimate ambition to scale up to a 200-hectare demonstration site.
