The Masdar Institute is undertaking a research project to develop algae for use as a biofuel.
A team led by an assistant professor in its chemical engineering school, Dr Hector Hernandez, is looking at genetic engineering of algae to produce specific products. It is also designing and building large-scale facilities to grow algae and looking to design a bio-refinery.
The institute said that the emirate’s sunny climate made it an almost ideal location for growing algae which can be converted into biofuels produced for commercial use.
Dr. Hernandez said that six students were currently working on the project, but that this is likely to increase to 12-13 next year.
The institute said that using algae to produce fuels gets around the ethical issue of producing fuel from crops which could otherwise be used as a cheap source of food.
It also said there was potential for integrating algae growth with aquaculture to clean up and re-use wastewater.
“At Masdar Institute, we are developing novel strategies for the use of algae-derived biomass for energy and other commercially relevant molecules,” said Dr Hernandez. “We have an internationally-recognized team of scientists working to develop new chemical processes for industrial scale-up and treating of the algae biomass. Their contributions to the field will place Masdar Institute at the forefront of industrial biomass processing.”
The Masdar Institute is not the only operation in the UAE looking to exploit algae production for biofuels.
Earlier this month, Lootah Biofuels said that it was starting a project in Dubai which was aiming to begin mass production of fuel within 6-18 months.
