US biodiesel group probes alternative feedstock

29 November 2007 22:38  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--A US biodiesel producer plans to move forward in a search for alternative feedstock, a company source said on Thursday.

Green Earth Fuels, a biodiesel manufacturer in Texas, said it has formed a joint venture with Targeted Growth, a company specialising in creating genetically enhanced plants.

The joint venture group, Sustainable Oils, will contract with farmers to grow Elite Camelina plants and continue to do genetic research on the plants.

Camelina, a distant cousin of canola, produces seeds that yield about 20% more oil than the amount that comes from conventional plants, according to Green Earth. Additionally, camelina consumes little water, requires marginal land and is not used for human consumption.

Green Earth said farmers contracted to grow Elite Camelina would sell the output to the company. Green Earth would then use the oil as feedstock at its 90m gal (341m litres)/year biodiesel plant near Houston.

Market sources said US biodiesel producers are looking for alternative feedstock to soybean oil because the bean oil prices have topped 45 cents/lb ($992/tonne).

By: Judith Taylor
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