Country

 Qatar

Date

 26/11/2012

Entity

 Qatar University, Qatar Airways, Qatar Science and Technology Park

Product

 Algae

Category

 R&D

Summary

​Qatar University reveals progress of aviation biofuels project.

 
Qatar University (QU) revealed the progress of its groundbreaking research on developing sustainable alternative biofuels for aviation, on the eve of the UN Climate Change Conference COP-18, which opens on November 26. The QU research team and officials gave Roberto Gonzalez, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) a tour of the facilities.
The university’s project, in collaboration with Qatar Airways and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is now into its third year. The aim is to find a way of producing affordable, sustainable biofuels which do not rely on the use of valuable arable land and which can be produced efficiently in the harsh climate of Qatar.
The research team isolated multiple forms of single-celled photosynthetic organisms (cyanobacteria and microalgae) unique to the country, abundant in the waters of Qatar which grow well in the extreme heat, strong sunlight and highly saline waters of Qatar. The team has already scaled up their tests to tanks of 1,500 litres situated outdoors, at QU’s research farm in Al Khor. Tests with 25,000 litres, specially-designed outdoor research ponds are currently being prepared by the team. If successful, a pre-commercialisation pilot plant will be constructed on a much larger scale – 1.5m litres.
Aviation industry has been following the project throughout its stages.
 

Links

 Hyperlink

Attachments

Created at 15/01/2013 10:43 AM by System Account
Last modified at 15/01/2013 10:43 AM by System Account