Masdar Institute and Tadweer Sign Research Agreement

University of Sydney to Assist Research Focusing on Improvement in Waste Cooking Oil Conversion Process for Biodiesel Production

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 31 August, 2014 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, and Tadweer, the Center of Waste Management – Abu Dhabi, have signed a two-year research agreement focused on improving the process for the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil.

The research agreement was signed by Dr. Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, and His Excellency Eisa Saif Al Qubaisi, General Manager of the Tadweer (CWM) in the presence of officials from both the institutions.

The research will focus on achieving fundamental improvement of the process of converting waste cooking oil to biodiesel through further experimentation and sensitivity studies. Processing and reusing waste cooking oil as fuel is an environmentally friendly sustainable energy solution that can contribute to targets for renewable energy uptake within the UAE and abroad. Biodiesel is bio-renewable, carbon-neutral and rapidly biodegradable.

Dr. Isam Janajreh, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Head of the Waste to Energy (W2E) Laboratory at Masdar Institute, will be the principal investigator (PI) of the project, while Dr. Ahmed Aljabri will be the co-principal investigator. As per the research project agreement, the principal investigator and the co-principal investigator will design, plan, and formulate the modelling and experimental investigations with assistance from two Masdar Institute Master’s degree students.

Dr. Moavenzadeh said: “The research agreement with CWM illustrates the UAE’s commitment to facilitating the production of clean energy and minimization of waste. With the support of the country’s leadership, we will continue our contribution to the development of clean energy technologies and ensure faster adoption of sustainable measures. We are confident that the outcome of this collaboration will encourage the community to support such green technologies.

H.E Eisa Saif Al Qubaisi, General Manager of Tadweer (CWM), stated that Tadweer is mandated to provide, among other things, ‘state-of-the-art’ facilities to promote resource conservation, enhance carbon footprint reduction, and maximize net positive social and environmental benefits to the people. He added that the agreement with Masdar Institute will achieve this objective by tapping the research-based institution’s knowledge resources, and hoped that the combined initiative will lead to the development of new technologies that will help the UAE and the world meet clean energy goals and objectives.

Eng. Faris Fahed Al Munaiei, Projects & Facilities Department Director at Tadweer, said: "Abu Dhabi produces an estimated 20 kg per capita WCO annually. Processing and reusing WCO as fuel is an environmentally friendly and efficient energy solution that can contribute up to 5% of sustainable energy needs by 2020. With its ongoing sustainability initiatives and schemes, Tadweer seeks to deliver effective waste management solutions in Abu Dhabi through inculcating best-in-class waste recycling practices among the public such as waste reduction at source, reuse and recycling through intensive awareness initiatives and special schemes that help achieve a safer and cleaner environment

The two institutions will be assisted in this project by Australia’s Laboratory for Turbulence Research in Aerospace and Combustion, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Sydney. Dr. Assad Masri, Australian Research Council-Australian Professorial Fellow in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies, at the University of Sydney, and Chairman of the Australia and New Zealand section of the Combustion Institute, will lead the collaboration from the Australian side.

Dr. Isam Janajreh’s current research projects focus on waste-to-energy (W2E), biodiesel and wind energy. The research agreement is also in line with the aims of Dr. Isam’s W2E Laboratory, which was established in the fall of 2009 and provides local government and industry partners with a platform to explore recovery solutions to their waste products.