ABU DHABI: The Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium, or SBRC, has announced that its bio-energy research facility at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology will be inaugurated on March 6.
“In an interconnected world – where rapidly growing populations stress our finite resources – the UAE is addressing food security challenges,” said Dr Behjat Al Yousuf, interim provost, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.
“In fact, the UAE imports roughly 90 per cent of its food – at a cost, that if left unchecked, is predicted to increase by 300 per cent over the next decade. But the challenge of food security is also an unprecedented opportunity to advance ideas and innovations that are both sustainable and economically viable. The Masdar Institute, along with its partners, is doing just that.
“Next month, we will begin operating the world’s first bio-energy research facility using desert land – irrigated by seawater – to produce both food and aviation fuels,” said Dr Al Yousuf. “Abu Dhabi’s commitment to advance cutting-edge research that addresses both water and food security underpins the country’s transformation into an economy driven by knowledge capital.”
