Carinata and its Potential as the Next Big Biofuel Thing

There is a new crop joining the growing number of biofuel biomass sources. Carinata or Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) is a non-food, leafy, energy feedstock crop from Ethiopia which yields oil that can be refined into fuels that meet the specifications of petroleum-based fuels. It is said that biofuel from carinata would work in ground and air transportation engines without engine modifications or blending. To date, carinata has demonstrated agronomic success across commercial sites and farms in the Canadian and the United States.

Carinata has a significantly higher efficiency than the next best performing oilseed in existence today. This means that more fuel can be produced per acre on semi-arid lands than any other oilseed today. In 2012, the world's first civil aviation of the NRC Flight Research Laboratory was powered by 100% biofuel from carinata.

Aside from biofuel biomass, carinata oilseeds can also be a source of feed for cattle markets. After extracting the oil, the residual mass can be ground into a co-product meal. This adds to the overall crop value proposition. When the meal's full value is achieved, and at scale, the cost of producing biofuel with carinata is cost-competitive for energy customers.