Research boosts UAE’S aim to secure clean energy

SHARJAH: Researchers at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) have discovered that seeds from a locally grown plant can produce high-quality biofuel, potentially enhancing the UAE’S efforts to secure clean energies from local natural resources.

Over two years of research, the AUS team investigated the Salicornia bigelovii, a type of halophyte that has great potential as a feedstock for biofuel. Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants that grow in marshes, mangroves and soils with high salinity. Salicornia bigelovii is known by the common names dwarf saltwort and dwarf glasswort.

The plants used in the study are grown at the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai, where they were field-tested at a large scale under the harsh desert environment and irrigated with high saline water. The genotype of the Salicornia used can achieve high biomass yields of approximately 3.5 kg per square metre (fresh biomass) under a high level of salinity, with the seed yield of approximately 80 g per square metre.

“We wanted to develop a novel biomass (plant material) conversion process to yield biofuels using locally grown plants in the UAE. This is the world’s first study on converting Salicornia bigelovii to biofuels through thermal conversion and it constitutes a breakthrough in the production of renewable energies from non-conventional biomass resources,” said Dr. Yasser Makkawi, Professor in Chemical Engineering at AUS, and research team leader of the AUS Bioenergy and Solar Conversion Research Group (BSCRG).

The researchers note that because the bio-oil produced from the Salicornia bigelovii seeds has high energy content, and is chemically stable and has less corrosion compared to bio-oils from other resources, it is highly attractive as a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. The process used also produces biochar and water, which can be used to support the growth and development of plant and animal life in arid and semi-arid environments.

The results show that the impact of the findings will be significant both locally and internationally.

“According to Dr. Makkawi, “The results of this project will greatly impact the future development of modern biotechnology. It also contributes to the UAE’S 2050 vision of renewable energy and sustainability. It is important to diversify the energy supplies, especially in the UAE and the Gulf region.”