Sustainable Oils, a subsidiary of California-based Global Clean Energy, is positioning itself as the world's largest breeder, seed producer and grain buyer. The company recently announced that it has a herbicide-resistant Camelinavariety that should convince more farmers to plant this crop, reports Robert Arnason.
"The development of our herbicide-resistant NewGold variety shows that after more than a decade of development, ginger joins the key oil crops beneficial to production," said Jack Grushkou, President and CEO of Smart Earth Camelina.
Sustainable Oils signs contract to produce camelina in Montana. Camelina oil is used to produce renewable diesel at the Global Clean Energy refinery in Bakersfield, California.
"Sustainable Oils is poised to become a global leader in camelina production by expanding economic opportunities for farming communities and producing renewable fuels with the world's lowest carbon emissions," said Richard Palmer, Global CEO of Clean Energy, in a press release.
Renewable diesel fuels differ from Biodiesel and are often referred to as Biosecond generation fuels described. more conventional Biodiesel must be blended with petroleum diesel, but renewable diesel fuels can be used as a separate product.
The oil and agribusiness industries also have huge investments in renewable diesel fuel manufacturing projects in Canada and the United States USA announced:
- Parkland Corp plans to build a $600 million in Burnaby, British Columbia Dollar to build an expensive factory for renewable diesel fuels.
- Federated Co-op plans to open a $2 billion co-op in Regina rapeseed and build a renewable diesel plant.
Marathon currently operates a factory in Dickinson, North Dakota Soy- and corn oil processed into renewable diesel fuels.
The raw materials for these plants vary, but camelina is ideal for renewable diesel fuel. The crop is often grown on less fertile arable land with less fertilizer, and camelina oil has desirable properties for fuel production.
“Renewable diesel fuels made from camelina are an easy replacement for traditional diesel fuels, but with fewer pollutants and much lower emissions. In fact, camelina has the lowest carbon intensity of any raw material available on the market,” according to Sustainable Oils.
Released that in 2007 Biodiesel Magazine ran an article entitled “Crazy About Camelina” with quotes from politicians and scientists pushing the potential of oil crops in Montana.
“This low-cost crop, which does not compete with the food industry, could bring about $4 million to Montana's agriculture sector Hektar Add production,” said Dwayne Johnson, superintendent of the Northwestern Center for Agricultural Research in Le Havre, Montana, in a 2007 article.
Of course, it is unlikely that camelina in the USA or Canada is becoming the main crop, but with the boom in renewable diesel fuel, herbicide-resistant cultivars, and winter cultivars appearing on the market, it's a viable option for earning farmers.