New Delhi, Jan 17 (ANI): The Sustainable Bioenergy
Research Consortium (SBRC) on last Wednesday announced
the world’s first commercial flight using locally
produced sustainable fuel on an Etihad Airways Boeing
787 powered by GE’s GEnx-1B engines. This marks the
first time that a flight has been operated on fuel
derived from plants grown in saltwater that is local,
viable, cost-effective and sustainable. It is a major
milestone in the development of clean and alternative
aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions. The
initiative also addresses food security in the UAE
through the farming of seafood as a core element in the
process. The SBRC partners have been working together
to prove the concept of a comprehensive value chain
that is centred around the Seawater Energy and
Agriculture System (SEAS). Sustainable fuel for the
flight was derived from oil in Salicornia plants, which
were grown on the two-hectare SEAS farm in Masdar City.
The SEAS is the world’s first desert ecosystem designed
to produce fuel and food in saltwater. Fish and shrimp
raised at the facility provide nutrients for the plants
as well as contribute to the UAE’s food production. The
use of biofuel in commercial flight will make a
compelling statement that impacts stakeholders in the
aviation, energy and transportation sectors.
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