Boeing and Honeywell UOP eye saltwater plants as biofuel source

Boeing and biofuel specialist Honeywell UOP have commissioned a study which they hope will lead to the large-scale production of sustainable aviation fuel from saltwater plants.

The research project, announced last week, will examine the feasibility of using salt-resistant halophytes as a biofuel. The results are expected to be released in late 2010.

The study is being led by Abu Dhabi's state-backed Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. If the results prove favourable, halophytes could be grown in Abu Dhabi on a commercial scale for fuel production.

Masdar, which aims to be the first zero-carbon city, was recently chosen as the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Halophytes thrive in arid land – such as those found in the coastal deserts of Abu Dhabi – and can be irrigated using seawater. As such, they are widely regarded as a more sustainable source of biofuels than oil palm plants and soya beans, which compete with food crops for arable land and fresh water.

Boeing said that the plants also have the potential to deliver high yields of acre per land, while their seeds contain a sizable amount of oil. For example, oil constitutes 30 per cent of the Salicornia bigelovii plant – one of the species being studied in the project.

Another focus of the research is saltwater mangroves, which can be found on Abu Dhabi's north coast. The study will assess the environmental impact of cultivating halophytes for use in aviation biofuel.

The airline sector has made recent strides in developing and testing biofuels for use in aircraft.

Honeywell UOP, Boeing and a group of commercial airlines last year teamed up to develop and commercialise sustainable aviation fuels. One of the group's members, Air New Zealand, last year conducted a test flight using jatropha-based biofuel, while another, Virgin Atlantic, trialled a blend of 80 per cent normal jet fuel and 20 per cent biofuel made from coconut oil and babassu oil.

Meanwhile, Boeing's aircraft-manufacturing rival, Airbus, is part of a group that is developing a green aviation fuel based on algae.

Biofuels have also been earmarked by the International Air Transport Association as one of the most promising technologies for meeting its recently announced target of cutting emissions from the sector in half by 2050.