Plants could create renewable fuel

Boeing has announced that it will begin studying the use of saltwater-based plants for renewable jet fuel in a joint effort with UOP, a division of Honeywell.

Abu Dhabi is viewed as a viable location for conducting a lifecycle-analysis study. The researchers report that early test results indicate that halophytes have the potential to deliver very high yields per unit of land with improved plant science and agronomy.

‘Boeing and the scientific and academic communities are stepping forward to look at the totality of each renewable fuel source that can help us reduce carbon emissions,’ said Billy Glover, managing director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

‘By working with Masdar Institute to look at these species in a formal research framework, we will better know if certain types of halophytes meet the carbon reduction and socioeconomic criteria that will allow them to become part of a portfolio of sustainable biofuel solutions for aviation.’

The government of Abu Dhabi founded the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology to research and develop alternative energy and sustainable technologies. Masdar Institute is an independent, non-profit, research-driven graduate institution established with the support and cooperation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.