Camelina project backed by USDA

Could camelina sativa be the answer to our need for a new ultra-low carbon, non-food renewable feedstock?

Global Clean Energy Holdings and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have signed a contract for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant. This is in line with their Climate-Smart Camelina project. Work can now begin to validate the advantages of camelina sativa (camelina) as an ultra-low carbon non-food renewable fuel feedstock.

Climate-Smart Camelina is a large-scale pilot project to implement, measure, and validate the climate advantages of camelina in both rotational and winter crop production systems. It will accelerate farmers’ adoption of camelina grown to produce feedstock for renewable biofuels and chemicals without causing land-use change. All whilst increasing carbon capture in the soil. Furthermore, it will support market development to provide additional revenue streams to growers and provide a premium for the crop.

The project entails a range of measurements at different spatial and temporal scales integrated into metrics. These will evaluate the production efficiency and carbon intensity of the biofuel generated, alongside soil carbon sequestration and general agronomic best practices. The key highlights for this project are the use of multiple methods of data collection to cross reference approaches, calibrate sensors, and validate models for long-term low-cost scalability.

Overall, the project aims to offer several benefits to growers and the environment. These include an overall increase in soil health and the total carbon sequestered within soils. Simultaneously, it will decrease the carbon intensity of growing camelina and obtain more accurate measurements to prove its environmental benefits. Ultimately, growers will have greater access to more affordable and reliable measurements.

Global Clean Energy owns the world’s largest camelina patent and intellectual property portfolio. The company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Sustainable Oils, contracts directly with farmers to grow it across key regions of the US. These include Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington.