So far as online records show, this word burst upon the world for the first time on 17 December 2008, in a press release announcing that European Union funding of €6m (£5m or $8.5m) had been won for the BioMara project. This is a cross-border project involving researchers from Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The aim is to find ways to convert seaweeds and marine algae into fuels. One hope is that it will help rural communities in these countries, who may be able to use fast-growing seaweeds such as kelp to make a locally produced and cheap fuel that won’t take up valuable agricultural land. Mari-fuel is an obvious parallel to the better-known agri-fuel, for fuels derived from agricultural products.
The development of mari-fuels could have a lasting impact on remote and rural communities by providing locally produced, relatively cheap, low impact fuel as well as serving the local public transport infrastructure.
Daily Telegraph, 18 Dec. 2008
Motorists may soon be driving cars powered by kelp and algae after scientists in Scotland and Ireland won European funding today for a new research project to create “mari-fuels” — the marine equivalent to plant-based biofuels.
Guardian, 18 Dec. 2008