Camelina Production Down Sharply in 2008

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.

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Biogas CHP : New Application of Biomass Gasification Technology From Nexterra

Nexterra Energy has announced a development programme to commercialize a new application of its biomass gasification technology to generate power and heat from small-scale plants.The 2-10 MW systems will employ technology that directly-fires biomass derived syngas in high efficiency gas engines.

This initiative follows two years of work by Nexterra to upgrade syngas made by gasifying biomass so that it meets the fuel specification of GE Jenbacher's internal combustion engines. GE has supported this work through its Jenbacher gas engine division. Once fully developed, Nexterra's gasification technology is planned to be combined with GE's Jenbacher gas engines to form modular biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plants.The scale of individual plants will range from 2-10 MW and will yield net efficiencies of up to 60% in cogeneration mode.

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New Trade Association To Promote Camelina As Energy Crop

Thirteen seed companies, processors and researchers of camelina have formed the first trade association focused on production and processing of the biofuel feedstock in North America.The North American Camelina Trade Association (NACTA) will work to promote research, production and the development of new markets for the relatively new energy crop.

Camelina sativa, also known as gold of pleasure or false flax, is a member of the mustard family and a distant relative to canola. It is a fast-growing, short-seasoned crop that requires less water and fewer inputs than many crops. Its high oil content and other properties make it a good fit for biodiesel production, and interest in the crop has grown significantly in recent years.The formation of the North American Camelina Trade Association is another important step in building a strong, sustainable foundation for camelina production in the U.S. and Canada.

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Hybrid Miscanthus For Future Biomass Energy Research ?

Because Arkansas is “prime real estate” for bioenergy crops, the recent announcement of a joint U.S. Department of Energy/University of Arkansas research effort is most welcome, says Chuck West, who along with University of Arkansas-Monticello researchers, is evaluating production systems for switchgrass, several sorghum varieties and cottonwood as cellulosic feedstock.

West’s research group is aiming for “a sustainable ligno-cellulosic feedstock production practice for energy crops.” The group’s four objectives are:

• weed control and establishment practices for switchgrass.
• diseases potentially limiting switchgrass and sorghum production.
• information on the management, productivity and quality of sweet sorghum for sugar and biomass.
• hybrid, giant miscanthus for future biomass research.

Hybrid miscanthus is a plant native to Asia. It grows very tall — “12 feet tall, easily” — and densely with a lot of stems and leaves. In other states, hybrid miscanthus has produced two or three times more biomass per acre than switchgrass. It’s already being cultivated as a biomass crop in Europe.

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Miscanthus Could Offer Long-term Source of Carbon-Neutral Energy ?

Planting crops for biofuel could improve biodiversity in the British countryside as well as helping soften the impact of human carbon dioxide emissions, according to new research.

The paper, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, suggests that crops like coppiced willow or miscanthus grass can support more wild species than traditional arable crops, particularly in the uncultivated margins around the edges of fields. These fast-growing crops are grown to be burned in biomass power stations; because this emits only the carbon that the plants absorbed while they were growing, advocates say it could offer a long-term source of carbon-neutral energy.

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Miscanthus, Switchgrass & Restored Prairie Tested As Potential Energy Crops

On the University of Illinois South Farms, 320 acres are devoted to the largest biofuels research farm in the U.S., growing crops that could be used to produce renewable energy. Last year the farm planted miscanthus, switchgrass, corn, and restored prairie as bioenergy crops. The goal is to compare insect and disease challenges, environmental benefits, economic opportunities and potential energy per acre of each.

Tim Mies, who directs the Energy Farm, said that research at Illinois has already shown that the giant miscanthus grass can produce over double the biomass per acre as corn. "It does this apparently without the need for any nitrogen fertilizer, very few other inputs and it adds significant amounts of organic matter to the soil. So, miscanthus might be a third crop for Illinois, and one particularly suited to marginal land," Mies said.

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Camelina Company Searches For Oilseed Crushing Facility Site

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.