Made from a combination of algae and coal dust, the latter of which is a waste product, the fuel could have a significant positive impact on the environment.

The NMMU researchers, led by Prof. Ben Zeelie, claim that the new product is a breakthrough in clean-burning fuel. The product uses coal dust as a major component, which is a waste product of the mining process. In fact, as much as 30 percent of coal is lost as dust during mining, and 50 to 60 million tonnes of the material are buried each and every year.

The practice doesn't only pose an environmental risk, with the waste releasing potentially harmful chemicals in the soil over long periods of time, but also represents a huge economic loss. Harnessing coal dust for fuel production eliminates both issues.

To produce the new fuel, the algae is grown in large artificial ponds, before being concentrated and mixed with the coal dust waste. Finally, it's formed into briquettes and dried.