The ICON Project: Reducing our Dependence on Fossil Fuels

Dr. Randall Weselake is a researcher at the University of Alberta, which is among six Canadian participants in ICON, an FP7 project to create industrial waxes and lubricants from plant bases.

According to Dr. Weselake, these industrial lubricants were once made by hunting whales for oil. Because of the negative impact of this practice on whale population, scientists developed ways to produce these lubricants synthetically from petroleum. Now, this Canadian team, which includes the University of Guelph, Carleton University, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of British Columbia, and the National Research Council of Canada, is leading the charge away from fossil fuels, towards plant-based high-performance lubricants, which are both significantly better for the environment, and much more stable.

The work of this project involves genetically modifying certain plants. Although Dr. Weselake admits that this practice is controversial in both North America and Europe, he explains that isolation strategies are used to keep these plants from contaminating those which make up our food supply. Furthermore, he explains, many of these genetically modified crops can grow on previously not arable land, which means they do not compete for space with food.

ICON’s consortium includes partners from the US, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the UK, Belgium, France, Australia, China, and the Netherlands. Of the 22 project partners, 27% are Canadian. Dr. Weselake speaks highly of the entire collaborative team.

“There is a lot of international exchange of ideas,” he says. “Some of our work is an Australian lab right now. This project has brought a lot of people together. Rather than working in isolated pockets, it’s enhanced global collaboration.”

He says that international collaboration is the most efficient way to harness the knowledge coming from different countries.

“Each country is trying to develop environmentally friendly products, so why not share globally to advance the cause – it’s refreshing to see things like that, it makes for a better world.”