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January 22, 2010

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by Michael Kannellos (GreenTechMedia) Take marginal land, fish waste and a plant that’s not currently cultivated for human purposes and what do you get? Hopefully jet fuel.

The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Honeywell UOP, Boeing and Ethiad Airways announced a project on the eve of the World Future Energy Summit to study how to combine fish farms and biofuel crops in a manner that will also potentially reduce carbon dioxide as well as the amount of waste going into oceans. The project essentially revolves around an oily plant called Salicornia (also known as pickleweed and sea asparagus) that grows in salty water in the region. Under the plan, fish farmers would create ponds and streams for raising shrimp and/or tilapia interspersed with Salicornia and mangrove, which also grows natively. The fish would be harvested for food. Their waste-which can run into the ocean and pollute it — would be absorbed by the Salicornia and mangrove as fertilizer. The Salicornia could then be harvested for oil, which could be converted into jet fuel or biodiesel.

…Feedstocks for alternative fuels will also become regional with different nations growing the plants that best suit their environments. Salicornia is native to the Middle East and doesn’t require fresh water, a big plus in a region that gets little rainfall. READ MORE and MORE

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