UWI gets funding for biofuel research
BioJet International, a global supply chain integrator for aviation and transport industry products, has agreed to fund biofuel research at the University of the West Indies (UWI).
Yesterday, UWI and BioJet jointly announced the agreement on the project, which will take place at the UWI’s Cave Hill campus located in Barbados and which is expected will lead to discoveries and commercialisation of biofuels and other renewable energy.
As a part of the agreement, BioJet including will fund research at BioJet, which offers products including renewable jet fuel, Green diesel, feedstock oil, and feedstock co-products, will also finance the creation of The UWI/Biojet International Biofuel Research Institute.
“The partnership is intended to develop UWI’s capacity for research into renewable energy technologies, whether from plant, waste biomass or algae, as well as new graduate careers in energy biosciences, and those pertinent to the logistics and supply chain management of biofuel distribution,” said the press statement. “An equitable sharing of intellectual property outcomes from research into microalgae for the production of biofuels and derivatives is part of the agreement.”
According to Sir Hilary Beckles, Principal of The UWI’s Cave Hill campus, “this agreement is one of the cornerstone science and technology projects that will undergird the transformation of our campus and the region with new career options, and serve as knowledge based platform for the creation of wealth through bioenergy research”.
Mitch Hawkins, CEO of BioJet commented “We operate throughout the entire biofuel value chain and research is key to all aspects of our global competitiveness. The Caribbean is a major area of interest for our Company and we see UWI- Cave Hill as a valuable partner in the future success of our operations. The July 1st approval of ASTM International allowing 50 percent blends of aviation biofuel derived from feedstocks such as camelina, jatropha and microalgae, is a game changing decision for the worldwide transportation industry and opens up tremendous opportunities for both UWI and Biojet International”.