December 7, 2011

Research hub to identify algae for making aviation fuel

LANGKAWI: The Aerospace Malaysia Inno­vation Centre (AMIC) is set to advance the country’s competency in the aerospace sector.

Its top research priority in its first year of operation will be to select an optimal algae strain to produce jet fuel in Malaysia.

Some RM15mil has already been approved for the industry-led research and technology centre for its first year of operation.

“This could lead to the country cementing a major leadership role in global biofuel production for the aviation industry,” AMIC chief executive officer Datuk Rosdi Mahmud said in a statement yesterday.

The centre, developed by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), brings together stakeholders from the public and private sectors and academic and research communities.

Funded by RM40mil in grants from the Government, EADS and Rolls Royce, the centre pairs industry demand for research and technology with local Malaysian capability from universities, including lead university, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the Malaysian Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Strategic Plan 2020 – a maritime blueprint to ensure the industry’s success – during a visit to the MIGHT booth at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2011 yesterday.

Original post available here.

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