Israel: Turning Animal Waste Into Fuel?

(Image Credit: Henrico County, VA)

This is not the first time someone has used animal waste to keep the lights on (and it probably will not be the last either).

But what makes this situation unique is that Dr. Sobhi Basheer of SB Biotechnologies is using enzymes instead of relying entirely on our silicon friends (aka machines).

(Israel 21^st Century) With his latest project, SB Biotechnologies, Basheer is working to transform "waste" animal and vegetable oil into diesel fuel, using genetically engineered enzymes that produce diesel in a clean, environmentally friendly manner - unlike the current popular production methods that spew out many pollutant by-products. Considering that many countries, including all members of the European Union, have mandated that all diesel fuel sold contain as much as 25 percent biodiesel, the company has already begun lining up clients.

Using Basheer's methods, they save money by avoiding the need to dispose of the pollutants, and polish their reputation for being environmentally-friendly too. "It's a revolutionary idea, so much so that we were included in this year's Israel President's Conference on new technologies," Basheer tells ISRAEL21c.

Depending on the price tag, Basheer's technology could go a long way on easing the cost of energy throughout the European continent (whose prices for fuel are usually higher than America's), as well as potentially providing a new source of energy for developing nations (who can not afford to import gas and oil).

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