June 23rd, 2009 · No Comments

By Ashley Phillips
Green Right Now

Camelina sativa, a member of the mustard family, is an oilseed crop that is proving to have a great industrial potential in the near future. Studied throughout the entire process, from planting to plane, Camelina has shown to be one of the more promising alternatives to petroleum jet fuel, according to a study  done at Michigan Technological University.

The oil from Camelina, can be converted and used as an alternative fuel source, say MTU researchers, who conducted the research study in collaboration with Honeywell’s UOP and Targeted Growth.  The findings showed an “80% reduction in GHG emissions for “Camelina Green Jet” compared to petroleum jet (fuel),” said David Shonnard, Robbins Chair Professor of Chemical Engineering on Tuesday.

There are many benefits to Camelina. It is a dry-land crop that can be grown in rotation with wheat, which increases the health of the soil. “After a Camelina crop the land is returned ‘rested’ and ready for another 3 or 4 years of wheat cultivation,” said Shonnard. Camelina requires minimal input as well, so the cost of production is significantly lower than other alternative fuel crops. “Camelina is a short season crop (85 to 100 days) and is frost tolerant so it can be planted early,” said David Shonnard. While Camelina is not a food crop, the excess oil also can be used as feedstock for animals.

For right now, Camelina is primarily cultivated in eastern Washington, Montana, and the Dakotas. As demand increases, Camelina has the potential to be grown in many other dry-land locations, as well as areas that are not currently cultivated for crops.

Camelina oil is compatible with today’s existing fuel infrastructure, so there would be no necessary changes that needed to be made. Even though an exact schedule for commercial production is still unknown, the recent advances being made in biofuel are proving to be promising.

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