Middle East's First Commercial Biofuel Project Planned for Egypt

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--In March 2010, Energy Allied International, a Houston-based energy-projects development company, executed a memorandum of understanding with the Seawater Foundation (Phoenix, Arizona) and Global Seawater Incorporated (Tucson, Arizona), pioneers in the development of integrated seawater agriculture systems. The companies will jointly develop the world's first commercial-scale seawater-based biofuels project in Egypt, known as the New Nile Company, which will be one of the largest biofuels investments to date in the Middle East and Africa.

The company plans to establish its first biofuel project along the Red Sea coastline in Egypt with an investment of up to $700 million. Construction is expected to begin in early 2011. The project will involve cultivation of a salt-resistant halophyte species that is capable of yielding large volumes of high-grade vegetable oil for use as a biofuel feedstock.

Other countries have also expressed an interest in developing biofuel projects in the Middle East and Africa.

The European Union has announced that seven strategic policies have been established to encourage the production and use of biofuels by countries in the EU and developing countries.

The European Commission (EC) has defined the role that biofuels produced from biomass may play in the future as a source of renewable energy, serving as an alternative to fossil fuels. The EC has also proposed measures to promote the production and use of biofuels.

The EC intends to highlight the advantages of biofuels in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the EC has noted that it is essential to guarantee that feedstock for biofuels is produced in a sustainable manner, both in the EU and developing countries.

In June 2007, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (Tokyo, Japan) appointed the Japan Development Institute (Tokyo), a consultancy firm interested in international development, to conduct preliminary studies about investments that could be made in Egyptian biofuel projects.

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