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BGU Is Part of Israeli Renewable Energy Center

BGU Is Part of Israeli Renewable Energy Center

July 6, 2011

Alternative Energy, Press Releases

Prof. Moti Herskowitz

Prof. Moti Herskowitz

BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, July 6, 2011 — Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) will be part of a new consortium designated by the Israel Council for Higher Education that will be creating the Israeli Center for Research Excellence (I-CORE) focusing on renewable energies.

The group of 27 senior researchers will include nine researchers from Ben-Gurion University who are leaders in production of biomass; photo-catalysis of CO2 and water to fuels; gasification of biomass; and production of liquid fuels from biomass and mixtures of CO2 and water.  The Technion and the Weizmann Institute of Science are partners in the consortium.

The BGU team is led by Vice President and Dean for Research and Development Prof. Moti Herskowitz, and Prof. Sammy Boussiba, director of the French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands.  Prof. Herskowitz, a chemical engineer and director of the Blechner Center for Industrial Catalysis and Process Development, researches cutting-edge alternative fuels.  Prof. Boussiba is world-renowned in the field of algae biotechnology and leads several major European FP7 projects.

The group also includes BGU Prof. Dr. Taleb Mokari, who was recently awarded a grant from the European Commission for 1.5 million euros to further his groundbreaking work in photovoltaic nanomaterials.

The I-CORE program areas that BGU researchers are involved in are:

  • Development of plants, algae and cyanobacteria – genetically selected or engineered – for large-scale production of energy-rich biomass as a biofuel feedstock.
  • Efficient and cost-effective direct conversion of solar energy into liquid fuels by photoelectrolytic and photocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction.
  • Non-catalytic conversion of low-grade biomass of any type into a mixture of H2 and CO2 that will serve as a feedstock for liquid fuel production by a catalytic process.
  • Development of catalysts and catalytic processes for sustainable and environmentally friendly liquid fuel production from a variety of feedstock materials.

“We are excited that BGU’s world renowned renewable energy experts are working together with other Israeli researchers to help develop viable alternative energy alternatives,” explains Doron Krakow, executive vice president, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. “We are optimistic that innovations that emanate from our research initiatives will solve future energy problems.”

Sponsored by the Israel Science Foundation and the Council of Higher Education, I-CORE’s goal is to develop a series of national research centers of excellence to strengthen Israel’s role as a world leader in scientific research and stem the brain drain that has led to thousands of Israeli scientists working abroad for lack of opportunity.

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion’s vision, creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University’s expertise locally and around the globe. With some 20,000 students on campuses in Beer-Sheva, Sde Boker and Eilat in Israel’s southern desert, BGU is a university with a conscience, where the highest academic standards are integrated with community involvement, committed to sustainable development of the Negev.

Media Contact:
Andrew Lavin
A. Lavin Communications
516-944-4486
[email protected]

ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY

By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.

About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.

We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.

BGU at a glance:  

20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.

 

For all press inquiries, please contact:

James Fattal, J Cubed Communications

516.289.1496

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