An American University in Beirut (AUB) research team has found a number of algae species in Lebanon that could be used as feedstock for biofuels.
Professor Yusuf Abou Jawdah from the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences has been studying microalgae species in Lebanon for almost two years, as part of an EU-funded project called, "Production of biofuels from microalgae in selected Mediterranean Countries ENPI MED- ALGAE.”
AUB and ALMEE (Lebanese Association for Energy Saving and for Environment) from Lebanon are among a consortium of 12 organizations from six Mediterranean countries collaborating on the study. In addition to Lebanon, organizations from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Egypt have formed a partnership which is coordinated by the Agricultural Research Institute of Cyprus in collaboration with the Cyprus Energy Agency and is expected to implement successfully the ENPI MED- ALGAE project.
While trying to produce fuel from the algae, Professor Abou Jawdah came across an interesting “side effect:” Some of the algae under study proved to be excellent sources of protein as well as other food supplements. “So far, we have identified 21 species from along the Lebanese coast, using molecular biology tools,” explained Abou Jawdah. “Among these, we have done detailed analyses to four species, and the initial results are exciting.”
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