Bio-Fuel Will Support Navy’s Certification Testing Program

Sustainable Oils, a producer of camelina-based fuels, announced Thursday it has been awarded a contract by the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel. The fuel will be delivered to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) fuels team in 2009 and will support the Navy’s certification testing program of alternative fuels. The contract includes an option to supply up to an additional 150,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel.

“This is a substantial endorsement of the years of research and development Sustainable Oils has been doing to improve camelina as a next generation feedstock,” said Scott Johnson, president of Sustainable Oils as well as president of the North American Camelina Trade Association. “Our camelina-based biojet fuel has already performed as well its petroleum counterparts in aviation tests involving a Boeing 747-300. We’re expecting similar performance with different, and even more demanding aircraft. I can think of nothing more appropriate for our nation’s defense aircraft than to be running on domestically-produced fuel.”

Camelina was selected by the DESC because it does not compete with food crops, has been proven to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 percent, and has already been successfully tested in a commercial airline test flight. In addition, camelina has naturally high oil content, is drought tolerant and requires less fertilizer and herbicides. It is an excellent rotation crop with wheat, and it can also grow on marginal land.

Camelina is the most readily available renewable fuel feedstock that meets the Navy’s criteria, with the ability to scale up acreage to meet demand. The camelina for the contract was primarily grown in 2009 and harvested recently by farmers in Montana. The company also has several field trials in Washington state.

Camelina Plant

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 140 trials across North America from 2005-2009. 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. Sustainable Oils leverages biotechnology resources from its Seattle-based agricultural biotech parent company Targeted Growth.

“This contract reflects the great promise of camelina as a readily-available drop-in replacement for aviation fuel,” said Johnson. “It also sends a strong message to farmers that there will be a long term market for camelina oil. We look forward to working with an even larger group of growers in 2010 to meet the increased demand.”

Camelina has also been proven to significantly reduce carbon emissions in aviation fuel. A life cycle analysis (LCA) of jet fuel created from camelina conducted at Michigan Tech University in conjunction with UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company, and Sustainable Oils found that the renewable fuel reduces carbon emissions by 80 percent compared to petroleum jet fuel.

In January, Sustainable Oils sourced the camelina for Japan Airlines’ biojet demonstration flight, whose biofuel blend was comprised primarily of camelina. In August, camelina again performed under high-test conditions in a 100 percent blend of fuel powering the Boeing U-787 hydroplane in a series of demonstration laps at the Seafair Cup in Seattle.

The upcoming Navy tests are part of a larger effort to test and certify promising biofuels in support of the Navy and Department of Defense’s strategy to enhance energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"DESC is partnering with the Navy to move this alternative fuel demonstration forward," said Mark Iden, deputy director of operations for DESC. "This initiative also supports the DoD's desire to meet the intent and goals of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007."

FMI: www.navy.mil, www.susoils.com