posted by Sumukee @ 1:50 AM |
Friday, March 19, 2010
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Food-waste, plant sources, flax, marsh grass etc. are going to be widely used as feedstock for biofuel production in a decade claim the aviation experts .These are the efforts taken by some airlines to fight climate change.
The aviation experts are having a big focus on feedstock such as
Jatropha, algae etc.which cause least or no destruction to the environment. The concern among many environmentalists previously was that the use of plant derived fuels would greatly destruct the forest. In Northern part of Europe,
Camelina is being used as a fuel to run aircrafts.
The airplanes emit roughly 2% of the green house gases and the emissions from the aircraft even from a high altitude remain in the atmosphere, at least the emissions in the ground are absorbed by the soil and the ocean.
By 2012, all the flights entering into and leaving the European airports will be subject to the European trading program as in the airlines will be allowed to emit only certain amount of carbon-dioxide and they will be given targets for buying and selling carbon credits.
The International Air Transport Association strongly believes that by 2020, the fuel efficiency will be increased by 1.5% and by 2050 the carbon emissions from the aircrafts will be nearly reduced to half.
For more informationLabels: Biofuels, camelina, carbon emissions, energy
posted by Sumukee @ 12:12 AM |
Thursday, July 16, 2009
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This article is very informative.This paper explains about that the storage stabilities of fuel grade
Camelina, sunflower and rapeseed methyl esters were evaluated in airtight and open containers.
Commercial amounts (200 litres) of the methyl esters were stored in airtight drums and sampled regularly, and the effects of air exposure were evaluated from sixteen days laboratory-scale accelerated storage tests at 65oC.
None of the methyl esters in airtight drums deteriorated during eighteen months of storage; composition, viscosity and free fatty acid levels remained unchanged. The accelerated storage test in open containers, however, indicated that exposure to air can cause rapid oxidation of each of the three methyl esters.
However, oxidation can be delayed by the presence of tocopherols (natural antioxidants) in the methyl ester, and it can be further delayed by the presence of an unidentified carotenoid. The exceptional stability of rapeseed methyl ester seems to be due to a combination of relatively high levels of (-tocopherol and the unidentified carotenoid.
see moreLabels: biofuel, camelina, energy
posted by Mak @ 10:47 PM |
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
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Here is an article on "
Biodiesel Benefits for Cattle Producers" by Greg Lardy, Ph.D., prepared for the Western Organization of Resource Councils.He has given the list of projeted oil yields and biodiesel yields from various oilseeds.
| Oilseed | Fat content, % | Pounds of Oil per Ton | Pounds of Biodiesel 1 | Gallons of Biodiesel2 |
| Camelina | 40.4 | 808 | 808 | 110.7 |
| Canola | 40.5 | 810 | 810 | 111 |
| Mustard | 34.4 | 688 | 688 | 94.2 |
| Safflower | 32 | 640 | 640 | 87.7 |
| Sunflower | 41.9 | 838 | 838 | 114.8 |
| Soybeans | 19.2 | 384 | 384 | 52.6 |
1 all oil is extracted from the meal. 100 pounds of oil plus 10 pounds of methanol yields 100 pounds of biodiesel and 10 pounds of crude glycerol.
2 Assuming 7.3 pounds per gallon
full article hereLabels: Biodiesel, camelina, oil
posted by Mak @ 10:22 PM |
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Camelina oil has good potential for food and industrial use. The oil contains about 64 percent polyunsaturated, 30 percent monounsaturated, and 6 percent saturated fatty acids. Importantly, camelina oil is very high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid which is essential in human and animal diets and has important implications for human health. The oil also contains high levels of gamma-tocopherol (vitamin E) which confers a reasonable shelf life without the need for special storage conditions. The unique properties of camelina oil could lead to development of a wide array of high value markets for the oil and its components in foods, feeds, cosmetics and industrial products (biolubricants). Some ideas currently being researched include:
- Nutritional: Using camelina oil to increase the nutritional value of a range of baked foods such as bread, and spreads including peanut butter.
- Health: Potential health benefits of omega-3 from camelina oil are being evaluated in a breast cancer risk study for overweight or obese postmenopausal women.
- Biodiesel: Camelina biodiesel has been produced and evaluated by commercial biodiesel manufacturers including Core IV, Wyoming Biodiesel, Peaks and Prairies and Great Northern Growers. Camelina biodiesel performance appears to be equal in value and indistinguishable from biodiesel produced from other oilseed crops such as soybean.
- Biolubricant: Camelina oil can be converted to a wax ester that will replace more expensive and less available Jojoba waxes in a range of industrial and cosmetic products.
- Soil and seed amendments: The gum layer that surrounds each camelina seed can be removed and utilized as a seed coating for other seeds to improve their germination in challenging environments. Camelina gum also has the potential to be used as a soil amendment to stabilize exposed soils for erosion control as in road construction.
see moreLabels: Biodiesel, camelina, oil
posted by Mak @ 6:58 AM |
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Researchers of Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia have done a research on "Physico-Chemical Properties, Composition and Oxidative Stability of Camelina sativa Oil".
According to them Camelina oil is a rich source of
α -linolenic acid (35.2 %), only linseed oil has more (up to 60 %). Camelina oil contains 14.9 % of gondoic acid (20:1), which is absent in the most common vegetable oils and 1.6 % of erucic acid (22:1), which determines the applicability of oil for human consumption,but in the Slovene camelina oil it was well below the permitted value of 5 % and also significantly lower than the values reported by others.
Full article hereLabels: camelina, oil
posted by Mak @ 4:31 AM |
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Here is the abstract of a research done by researchers at Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, USA.
Abstract: Camelina sativa is an alternative
oilseed crop that can be used as a potential low-cost biofuel crop or a source of health promoting omega-3 fatty acids. Currently, the fatty acid composition of camelina does not uniquely fit any particular uses, thus limit its commercial value and large-scale production. In order to improve oil quality and other agronomic characters, we have developed an efficient and simple in planta method to generate transgenic camelina plants. The method included Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation of plants at early flowering stage along with a vacuum infiltration procedure. We used a fluorescent protein (DsRed) as a visual selection marker, which allowed us to conveniently screen mature transgenic seeds from a large number of untransformed seeds. Using this method, over 1% of transgenic seeds can be obtained. Genetic analysis revealed that most of transgenic plants contain a single copy of transgene. In addition, we also demonstrated that transgenic camelina seeds produced novel hydroxy fatty acids by transforming a castor fatty acid hydroxylase. In conclusion, our results provide a rapid means to genetically improve agronomic characters of camelina, including fatty acid profiles of its seed oils. Camelina may serve as a potential industrial crop to produce novel biotechnology products.
Labels: camelina, oil, research
posted by Mak @ 3:03 AM |
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Here is the results of a project conducted by researchers at Crops Research Centre, Oak Park, Ireland. The aim of the project was to examine the potential of alternative vegetable oils, oil wastes or animal fats as bio-diesel feedstocks, and the performance of road vehicles using bio-diesel blends made from these materials. Three feedstock materials were considered: waste cooking oil from the catering industry, Camelina oil, and beef tallow.
They have showed that the oil yield from Camelina sativa is similar to that of rape, but it requires lower fertiliser and pesticide inputs, which leads to a lower cost and a more favourable energy ratio.
They have also provided the low-temperature properties of blends of waste cooking oil ester and mineral diesel( refer the following table).The ester yields for camelina oil were higher than for waste cooking oil. The fuel properties of the methyl ester were also within specifications with the exception of cold filter plug point (CFPP).
| Camelina
ester % | Mineral
diesel % | Cloud
point oC | CFPP
oC | Pour
point oC |
| 100 | 0 | +3 | -3 | -4 |
| 80 | 20 | +3 | -7 | -6 |
| 60 | 40 | +3 | -9 | -9 |
| 40 | 60 | +3 | -11 | -12 |
| 20 | 80 | +3 | -13 | <-18 |
| 0 | 100 | +3 | -15 | <-21 |
see moreLabels: Biodiesel, camelina, oil, research
posted by Sumukee @ 12:00 AM |
Friday, July 10, 2009
1 Comments
The main problem the aviation industry is facing is the amount of carbon emissions . The only solution to curb this issue is to switch over to biofuels , specifically switching over to Camlina. I think from this moment I can be called a big –time Camelina fan.
Camelina is indeed one of the most promising sources for renewable fuels ever. The aviation industry is widely using camelina biofuels for many test flights and almost 80 % of these tests re proved successful. (
Earlier post) . If I am not wrong, I remember reading an article published by the green energy congress that the Camelina have drastically reduced the green house emissions. A life cycle analysis was performed on Camelina in April 2009 to check if it was the right choice fas a jet and aircraft fuel . And yes, It showed green signal on all the flight tests and also research reveal that Camelina is the best option and may be even a better option than what is available today.
The quickest way to reduce carbon emissions from aviation is to begin replacing petroleum fuel with fuel made from renewable and sustainable camelina oil. The acreage that have been contracted for 2009 will be used to continue to develop the promising biojet market It is very strongly beleived that no other potential feedstock can provide as much fuel in as short a horizon.
Future research might investigate camelina seed feedstock supply chain more thoroughly, and focus on a detailed investigation of farming practices to reduce N2O emissions from soils. Another important research question is to investigate camelina cultivation methods to assure that no adverse land use change impacts will result from biofuels production.—Shonnard and Koers (2009)Labels: Biodiesel, biofuel, camelina
posted by Sumukee @ 8:20 PM |
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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I think by now most of you would have realized
Camelina is indeed a miracle crop. However, as I said there are quite a few bottlenecks we are facing to commercialize Camelina fuel. Here are the of bottlenecks we are facing to make Camelina a biodiesel plant.The most critical is the price and availability of commercial-scale quantities of second generation feedstock.” Additionally, more farmers need to be convinced to grow a new crop, and refiners must want to process it.And again there are many farmers who are really not very confident on investing in such a crop because as far as they are concerned this is a kinda weed not a crop. In my opinion,there are a few steps which should be taken to commercialize this oleaginous crop:
* The farmers should be given enough education about the long-term benefits of this miracle crop.
* Camelina can accustom to any sort of weather conditions, so why not try growing it wherever possible.I am totally ignorant if any issue will arise by doing so .
* Profits made by the grower in the long-run.
* Awareness should be created to people that these oleaginous plants can yield more than the oil yielded by rapeseed, corn or soy.
* Investment opportunities should be brought into light.
If all the above points are kept in mind, we can at least make an attempt to commercialize this crop. Hey guys!1 I would very much appreciate any inputs from your side in this context.
see more Labels: Biodiesel, biofuel, camelina
posted by Sumukee @ 7:24 PM |
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As promised, here are some more evidences as to why Camelina can be used as a biofuel crop. As I mentioned in my previous post, Camelina can be used as a rotation crop with wheat and some farmers report that the yield of the wheat crop also increases to about 15% after the Camelina rotation.
Apparently, it is even expected that this miracle crop can yield about two times motre than the soy crops. Moreover, this mustard family crop contains high quantities which make it a excellent source of food for livestock.
In my opinion, if someone could use Camelina to get oil as well as use it as a livestock feed, why not use it. Actually I think I know why?? There are quite a few bottlenecks we are facing and I am pretty much sure that all those bottlenecks can be removed if one is serious about Camelia.
Coming up next are the bottlenecks faced by the Camelina biofuel crop and a few suggestions as to how these BIG bottlenecks can be overcome.
Labels: Biodiesel, biofuel, camelina
posted by Sumukee @ 5:39 AM |
0 Comments
Camelina will indeed, turn out to be a great fuel crop for biodiesel production like Miscanthus for ethanol production. Whenever, I read some news that Camelina is used as a jet fuel in several aviation vehicles, I sit and dream thinking that my favorite Camelina is gonna rule the aviation industry. Infact, I was extremely delighted when I heard someone saying that Camelina will definitely be a commercial jet fuel in 2015.
It's amazing to note that not only does Camelina require very less amount of fertilizer but also can be used as a rotation crop for wheat.The researchers from various parts of the world also report that this crop burns very cleanly and doesn't produce noxious emissions either. They thus reduce the green house emissions to a very large extent and is hence, considered to be one of the most promising biofuel crops.
Well, I think there are many people who are still ignorant of the fact that these cool crops such as Camelina can turn out to be assets.On the other hand I also appreciate that there are loads and loads of researchers,one being me toiling hard everyday trying to decipher the potential of the cabbage cousin-Camelina.
More about Camelina coming up.....
Labels: biofuel, camelina
posted by Mak @ 12:38 AM |
0 Comments
Here is a promising attempt of a camelina grower. Mark Wiest, of Sams Valley, Oregon, United States, just completed harvesting about three acres of camelina on a piece of ground that has been otherwise unproductive. His first planting of camelina was last year when he and Dalton Straus planted 26 acres in the Sams Valley area. Wiest is contracting with BioMass Processors out of Rickreall. Once the camelina has been harvested and dried, it is sent north. There the harvested camelina is crushed and the
camelina oil is extracted. This oil can be used in making fuel. Wiest is working with others from Beatty to Murphy to turn their bare land into productive land.
see moreLabels: Biomass, camelina, fuel, oil
posted by Sumukee @ 8:43 PM |
Monday, July 6, 2009
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Miscanthus. a tall perennial grass can be extensively cultivated for using it as a biofuel. This biofuel crop as discussed in the previous posts has got a great capability to get accustomed to any kind of climate. This scientific paper claims that M. x giganteus a very important species of Miscanthus has been propagated to yield large quantities of plant-oi in Europe. Tests reveal that this crop requires very less fertilizer inputs like the
Camelina and therefore can be widely cultivated. As previously discusses, this crop doesn’t require too much of pesticides and can benefit the societies working on sustainability.
However, as you all know there are a few bottlenecks we are facing to commercialize this fuel crop. Well, some places have already started using Miscanthus fuel. However, it is not as widely used as we want it to be. The main limitations to produce oil are the high initial costs, over winter at some sites and lack of sufficient water in certain areas of Europe for cultivating this oil crop,extraction, harvesting costs and so on.
New agronomic techniques and new genotypes with improved characteristics are being developed and screened over the wide range of ecological conditions in Europe. Efforts are underway to commercialize this oil crop.
For those with the scientific bent of mind, please refer to the
full article.
Note: This research article explains the situation of Miscanthus production only in Europe. Apparently, they have tried utilize their experience in Europe to North America as well.
Labels: biofuel, camelina, Miscanthus
posted by Mak @ 7:51 PM |
0 Comments
While searching for the oil composition of camelina, I came across a research paper on "
Camelina sativa, A Montana Omega-3 and
Fuel Crop". According to that paper,
Camelina sativa is a new crop with a variety of uses. It is relatively easy to breed, and easy to grow with low input costs. Its meal is valuable as animal feed, and its
oil has an important nutritional components (alpha linolenic acid and gamma-tocopherol). The industrial potential of this crop, given the current fuel crisis, is rather large.
They have given the Oil Composition of European Camelina cultivars [‘Celine’ (France), ‘Calena’ (Austria), and ‘Ligena’ (Germany)] and 3 Montana breeding lines (MT-1, MT-3, and MT-5).(Refer the following chart)
See the full paper hereLabels: camelina, fuel, oil
posted by Sumukee @ 12:33 AM |
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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Sustainable Oils, Inc, a producer and marketer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value
camelina-based biodiesel .Sustainable Oils has the largest camelina research program in the nation. The company's camelina breeding program began in 2005 and has steadily expanded to include more than 40 trials across North America in 2008. The company is also evaluating more than 90 breeding populations of camelina to analyze agronomic and oil qualities and to develop new high-yielding varieties. Oflate they have planned to develop a Camelina industry in North America.
For those interested-
Full reportLabels: Biodiesel, camelina, sustainabile
posted by Sumukee @ 8:31 PM |
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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In Wyoming, researchers and landowners are planning to test if the concept of biofuel would work in their state. The reason I grabbed this article is because, guess what ?? they are gonna try growing Camelina-
cabbage cousin. As I mentioned earlier,
Camelina is a wonderful biofuel, crop which is known to reduce the
carbon emissions drastically and its fertilizer requirements are very less too.
The Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division has received a grant for their research. They are actually planning to buy a press- equipment, which will be to crush the Camelina to extract oil from it. The grant which they have received, will help a great deal to take it all around their state to show the producers the way it works. It is called a mobile press .It is believed to extract about 40-45% oil. Earlier, the problem they faced was the the processing of Camelina near the place where it was grown. They hope that this mobile press will solve this problem..They feel that it can be rolled out and set up for demonstration and small-scale research. In March, the
Camelina company in Montana was after a press, I don’t know if this mobile press would be of any help to them.
The focus of this research has been the biofuel. However, there are some questions which arise at this point? Generally speaking, when a seed is pressed only one-third of it is fat and the rest is its meal . What will be done with the leftover Camelina stuff (meal) after the oil extraction ?
Efforts are underway to check if this will be economically feasible. Researchers wonder what they could do with such a huge quantity of meal . Hence, they would like to research on this topic for another two years or so before jumping into further conclusions.
see more Labels: biofuel, camelina, carbon emissions
posted by Sumukee @ 4:39 AM |
Monday, June 22, 2009
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Camelina, considered the cousin of Cabbage could reduce the carbon emission in the jet fuels to about 84 percent. Interestingly, it is one of the plant-fuels, which exhibits the lowest carbon emission when compared to the other plant derived biofuels. Even in my previous posts, I have mentioned the fact that, Camelina requires very little attention, it being a lowly weed does not require much use of fertilizers, water or nutrients.
Yet another unique attribute of this crop is that it has a capacity of converting oil to a hydrocarbon jet fuel that meets or exceeds almost all the petroleum and jet specifications. The most exciting fact about this crop is that, it is almost an exact replacement of fossil fuels. The cultivation of Camelina is quite easy, it can be cultivated on marginal agricultural lands as well. Camelina will not compete with the food-crops such as corn or soy.
The bottlenecks we face in using this
great weed is it's price, the feedstock availability and it will be a bit difficult to convince farmers to grow this crop as well. Apparently, a recent
news from Albany claimed that farmers were shocked when they came to know the potential of this Camelina oil crop. The Albany farmers were actually eradicating this weed for many years. Similarly, there are so many ignorant farmers in many parts of the world not knowing that this oil crop can do wonders.
see moreRelated blog posts:
Camelina-Derived Renewable Jet Fuel Reduces 84% Carbon EmissionsAlbany farmers plan to grow plant biofuel crops.Labels: biofuel, camelina, energy
posted by Sumukee @ 7:40 PM |
Thursday, June 18, 2009
0 Comments
Farmers in the warmer countries are being asked to grow weeds such as
Camelina, penycress and other oil yielding weeds that help making biodiesel. Some farmers ,when asked to grow these "stink weeds"- that's how they call these plants,were shocked as they didn't realize its potential earlier. They were eradicating them for cultivation of other food -crops.
For those interested -
Full articleLabels: Biodiesel, camelina
posted by Sumukee @ 7:32 PM |
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
0 Comments
This article caught my eye when I was surfing through the
renewable energy magazine. It claims that about 60% of the people are ignorant of the fact that the third-generation biofuels are going to rule the aviation industry in a decades time, or may be even earlier than that. A guide has been published by
ATAG-Geneva(a non-profit industry dealing with many sectors of aviation) for beginners in this field to gain more knowledge in the arena of third-generation biofuels.
The industry aims in making these powerful biofuels as the main source of aviation fuels Considerable efforts are underway to achieve their goal. Their big focus was on "Sustainability fuel"since last year. Many test flights have been used to test the efficiency of second generation fuel-plants such as
Camelina, Jatropha and other microbial fuels such as algae oil. Interestingly, all these test flights were a success as they burnt cleanly unlike the fossil fuels and didn't produce any engine inefficiency either.
The industry however, is not very sure of the hindrances they are going to face as they are a little concerned about its impact on the food and water supplies. This top-ranked aviation industry has requested the Geneva government to support the biofuel suppliers in developing the required feedstock and refining systems to achieve their dream of making these highly capable biofuels commerically available for use in the aviation sector.
I cannot wait to see this happening!
see moreRelated blog posts:
Camelina-Derived Renewable Jet Fuel Reduces 84% Carbon Emissions World's First Camelina Biofuel Test FlightLabels: biofuel, camelina, sustainability
posted by Mak @ 9:59 PM |
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
0 Comments
Here is a post about the development of one of the most versatile as well as a profitable oilseed producing biofuel : The Camelina company- Great Plains Oil And Exploration , a company which contracts for more than 85% of the Camelina cultivated in the North America, have planned to increase the acreage of Camelina by more than 200% than last year. The most interesting fact about this is that this increase of acreage is expected to make Camelina a commercial biofuel. A recent life cycle analysis conducted at Michigan Tech University stated that Camelina-based jet fuel would produce 84 percent fewer carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel (Source :
Biodiesel magazine). Research studies reveal that camelina derived biofuel have been used to drive more than 15 million miles so far. Another interesting article, which I came across claims that Camelina is even better than Canola due to the fact that is showing increasing yields every year. (Courtesy:
Idaho Business Review) Camelina Company’s CEO Huttenbauer claims that there are many varieties of Camelina, which have been successfully used as renewable fuel. Furthermore, the CEO credits the profitability of this crop grower as well.
Related blogs:
Montana Legislature Addresses Camelina Biodiesel Camelina As An Efficient Biofuel SourceCamelina - An Oil-Seed Crop For Different Bio-fuelsLabels: biofuel, camelina
posted by Mak @ 10:31 PM |
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
0 Comments
A science project of Students at Stanley-Boyd High School, Stanley, Wisconsin could help a local school district to make it's own bio-fuel. The project will be run entirely by the students and the FFA (Future Farmers of America).
Last spring the district bought 80 acres next to the School for Agriculture Education. Instead of growing corn or beans, district officials decided to try something different.The
Camelina seeds have barely broken through the soil and the Canola seeds haven't even sprouted yet.
The students say they expect to produce about 450 gallons of bio-diesel next year. That's only a drop in the bucket considering the district spends about $80,000 a year to fuel its buses.They plan to start small, get through the process, learn the procedure, get the kinks out,if things go well next year they might do more.They also say they plan to blend the bio-diesel with ethanol which will be donated by Ace Ethanol in Stanley.
see more
Labels: Biodiesel, camelina, Ethanol
posted by Mak @ 11:10 PM |
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
0 Comments
Renewable fuels company Sustainable Oils shared the results of a life-cycle analysis of jet fuel created from proprietary Camelina seeds. According to the study,
renewable jet-fuel made from Camelina reduces carbon emissions by 84% percent compared to the petroleum-based counterpart.Next generation biofuels are true hydrocarbons and in the molecular aspect are indistinguishable from fossil fuels, which makes Camelina oil a good candidate to quickly reduce carbon emissions produced by aviation.
A team at Michigan Tech University based their research on Camelina grown in Montana and then processed into bio-jet fuel using “
UOP hydroprocessing technology”. Researchers estimate that the state of Montana alone can support millions of acres of Camelina, generating the equivalent of 200 to 300 million gallons of bio jet fuel a year.The plant-based jet-fuel has shown in tests that it performs just as well if not better than traditional jet fuel and exhibits one of the largest greenhouse gas emission reductions of any renewable feedstock.
About Camelina:
Camelina is well suited to be a sustainable biofuel crop, because it naturally contains high oil content and its oils are low in saturated fat. Camelina needs little water and requires less fertilizer and herbicides than most plants, and it’s is also a great rotation crop with wheat (meaning it does not displace food (crops).
see moreLabels: biofuel, camelina, Co2, Jetfuel
posted by Mak @ 12:10 AM |
Friday, May 1, 2009
0 Comments
FedEx, a cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, wants a third of its jet fuel to come from biofuels by 2030, the company’s chief executive said in a speech delivered during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit.The target aims to take advantage of second-generation, non-food-based biofuels, such as jatropha, algae, switchgrass and camelina.Its goal is 30 percent alternative fuel use for aviation by 2030.There have been four successful biofuel demonstration flights during the last year using blends of petroleum and jatropha, algae and camelina.
Some Interesting facts of this article are:
- FedExhas set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its worldwide air operations by 20 percent by 2020, per available ton mile. Since 2005, it has reduced aircraft emissions by 3.7 percent by pound per available ton mile.
- The company is trading in the MD-11s it uses on long-range international routes for new 777Fs, as well as old 727s for new 757s, which are 47 percent more fuel-efficient.
- FedEx and rival United Parcel Service are already saving money and fuel using continuous descents in Memphis and Louisville, while flights in Atlanta were able to shave 2.5 minutes from each flight, generating savings of about $105 million since 2006.
see moreLabels: biofuel, camelina
posted by Mak @ 1:02 AM |
Friday, April 24, 2009
0 Comments
America’s first eco-sustainable city is taking its first steps toward sustainable energy.Among the city’s eco-friendly features is The Sustainable Energy Farm that produces power from biodiesel, ethanol, solar and wind sources for companies that contribute to sustainable industries, such as building solar panels. That energy park recently got a green boost when some sustainable feedstock sources… including jatropha, camelina, and new hybrids of sweet sorghum… were planted for study of the next generation of renewable and alternative fuel sources.
A new drip fertigation system, designed to reduce water waste, will be overseen by Treasure Coast Irrigation. The camelina, a new potential candidate in the biofuel market, and jatropha were planted by Bio Greens Oils USA.The Sustainable Energy Farm is also planning to grow arundo donax this spring for testing; arundo donax is a perennial grass, with potential yields of 30 to 35 tons of biomass per acre.
see moreLabels: Arundo donax, biofuel, camelina
posted by Mak @ 12:10 AM |
Monday, April 20, 2009
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that Montana plantings of the biofuels crop camelina fell by almost half last year to 12,200 acres.
The crop, which grows well in Montana's dry climate because it needs little water, has been promoted as an ideal source of plant oils needed to make alternative fuels. Two companies operating in Montana had once projected millions of acres of camelina within the next several years.
The 46 percent decline in plantings in 2008 reflects the industry's troubles convincing farmers to convert their fields to the crop when wheat prices were hitting record highs.
see moreLabels: camelina, Companies
posted by GURU @ 10:44 PM |
Sunday, March 29, 2009
0 Comments
Great Plains - The Camelina Company, the world's leader in camelina production and development, is searching for a site for an oilseed crushing facility in the state of Montana.
With the assistance of a $50,000 grant awarded by the Montana Agriculture Development Council from the Montana Growth Through Agriculture Program, a feasibility study is currently being conducted and a site will be named in the near future.
A low cost feedstock, camelina is well suited for the more arid regions of the Northern Great Plains, requiring low inputs of water, fertilizer and pesticide. It can be planted behind wheat and on marginal lands. It is sustainable, does not compete with other crops and is successful as a rotational crop.
Labels: camelina
posted by Mak @ 1:43 AM |
Friday, February 27, 2009
0 Comments
As seeding time is quickly approaching, producers will be planning which crops to plant. One crop some producers may want to consider is camelina. Dan Kusalik with the Great Plains Camelina Company says camelina is used for a number of different bio-fuels. "Camelina is an oil-seed crop that we use for bio-fuel, bio-diesel jet fuel production."Camelina can be planted in the winter, too. As long as the soil conditions allow us to take that drill and put the seed a quarter inch into the ground we could do it. Right now they're just under the 25,000 acre mark on the prairies.
see moreLabels: biofuel, camelina
posted by Mak @ 9:20 PM |
0 Comments
Great Plain, the “world’s largest Camelina producer” claim that it’s ‘virtually’ 100% efficient and a sustainable, low-input, biofuel feedstock that can help to combat rising emissions while also adding to food production and crop yields. It seems that the crop may boast a number of key advantages as a biofuel source since:
* It doesn’t interfere with food production because it can be harvested and processed for fuel production and any remainder can be used as high quality animal feed, as well as fiberboard and glycerin;
* It can be grown on marginal land, needing very little water, even in cold northerly states like Montana and even Canada;
* It is an excellent rotational crop that has been shown to boost the yield of subsequent crops such as wheat by up to 15%.
Camelina is already widely grown throughout the U.S. and Canada for fuel and cattle feed. To date, several crushing partners have already teamed up with Great Plains to produce more than 10 million road miles of camelina biodiesel. Moreover, by 2012, the company plans to raise production to 100 million gallons a year.
see moreLabels: biofuel, camelina
posted by Mak @ 11:27 PM |
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
0 Comments
A new bill in the Montana Legislature aims to make it easier for Montana farmers and ranchers to produce biodiesel fuel from oil-seed crops like camelina and canola.House Bill 415 would provide regulation for special fuel users who produce biodiesel fuel.
At a press conference on Monday, farmers spoke in favor of the bill. MT State Representative Margaret McDonald (D-Billings), the sponsor of the bill, says producing biodiesel will increase energy efficiency and income in the state: "We need to go in and work on our Montana law and amend it so that people can begin to do this in their communities and really make a difference."
see moreLabels: biofuel, camelina
posted by Mak @ 10:29 PM |
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The US Air Force (USAF) is launching a new synthetic fuels programme to fly its fleet on a jet fuel mix that contains biofuel.The service is working toward an ultimate goal of certifying its fleet to use "hydro-treated renewable jet fuel" (HRJ) by about 2013.HRJs are biofuels derived from oils and fats, which can come from products such as animal fat, jatropha and camelina oil and algae.
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posted by Mak @ 11:27 PM |
Sunday, February 15, 2009
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The Colorado Agricultural Value Added Development Board, part of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, awarded $150,000 in Advancing Colorado’s Renewable Energy grants to two biodiesel-related projects.The facility will produce 100,000 gallons of biodiesel per year. The location for the facility hasn’t been finalized, but it might be built at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Central Great Plains Research Station in Akron, Colo. There, dryland canola and camelina oilseeds from test fields would be crushed for use as a straight vegetable oil fuel or converted into biodiesel to be used in research center tractors.
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posted by Mak @ 8:06 PM |
Friday, February 13, 2009
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Japan Airlines (JAL) on Friday carried out the world's first successful test flight of a Boeing aeroplane run on biofuel made primarily of a non-food energy crop called camelina.One engine on the Boeing 747-300 aircraft, which took off from Tokyo's Haneda airport, was powered by biofuel mixed with conventional kerosene jet oil, the company said.The biofuel used in the flight is "a mixture of three second-generation biofuel feedstocks" of camelina, jatropha and algae, the airline said.The JAL flight was Boeing's fourth project using biofuel.
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