GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Marshes: The Ideal Fuel Farms

Dave Greenfield | Date: 03-23-10 | Comments

The Middle East is an oil-rich region, but it is also developing an alternative fuel that could help lessen our dependence on black gold.

Beyond crude oil, another natural resource that can be found in the Middle East is salt marshes. Researchers at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dubai�in conjunction with those from Honeywell, Boeing and others�are working to develop fuel and products from seawater and the plant life that springs from it.

Researchers have been working on ways to make farming feasible in a region where fresh water is in short supply. Aquaculture, as it is called, involves farming mollusks, crustaceans, finfish and aquatic plants. Waste water from this fresh/salt water farming will be used to fertilize other plantations and mangrove forests. The resultant biomass will be used to create clean energy, including aviation fuel. The biomass is renewable and sustainable.

�The paradigm for energy is shifting,� says Honeywell Vice President Jennifer Holmgren. �To meet the growing demand for energy worldwide, we must identify regional biofuel solutions that are not only sustainable, but can actually regenerate the ecosystems where they are produced.� Besides creating a renewable fuel source, the use of aquaculture and its by-products helps create and support a new habitat, while reserving fresh water for other purposes. In addition, creating biofuel from salt water could reduce the impact that rising sea levels will have on seaside regions.

�We are forging our energy future by developing a renewable fuel supply now, not when fossils fuels are depleted,� states Boeing CEO Jim Albaugh. �Developing and commercializing these low-carbon energy sources is the right thing for our industry, for our customers and for future generations.�

This exciting advance has the potential to utilize existing resources to encourage biodiversity, agriculture and alternative fuel sources.