Camelina, an oilseed crop from the cruciferous family, is set to play a larger role as a feedstock for biofuels. The crop has long been under investigation for the production of biodiesel, renewable diesel (a diesel substitute based on vegetable oils and fats), and sustainable aviation fuel, internationally referred to as SAF.
Why Camelina is interesting for biofuels
Camelina has a relatively low carbon footprint as a feedstock for renewable fuels and requires limited amounts of fertilizers and crop protection products. The crop has both spring and winter varieties. Additionally, it is winter-hardy, resistant to seed pod bursting, and drought-tolerant.
These characteristics make camelina suitable for growing conditions where many main crops perform less well, and for use during periods when fields would otherwise lie fallow.
Three ways to use camelina
Camelina can be incorporated into an arable farm in three ways. First, as an intermediate crop between two growing seasons, allowing a field to remain productive outside the regular growing season. Second, within a crop rotation alongside existing crops, where it can contribute to a more varied cropping plan. And finally, on marginal or underutilized soils that are less suitable for other crops.
In doing so, camelina positions itself as a supplement to existing crop rotation plans and not as a replacement for main crops. This is an important difference compared to some other biofuel feedstocks, which compete more directly with the cultivation of food crops.
Collaboration between Bayer and bp
With a new partnership between Bayer and bp, a concrete commercial rollout is now getting underway in North America under the brand name Newgold. bp contributes expertise in fuels and refining, while Bayer contributes seed technology and an existing network of farmers. In this way, cultivation, processing, and sales are linked within a single partnership.
The agreements follow the acquisition of camelina operations by Bayer, which was announced in January 2025. Since then, the company has been testing both long-season and short-season varieties. Newgold camelina has since been introduced in the Northern Plains of the United States and in the Canadian provinces of Southern Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta. A date for a full commercial rollout has not been communicated.
In their announcement, the companies refer to market estimates in which the combined demand for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and SAF rises from 14 billion to 40 billion gallons in 2040. This amounts to an increase from approximately 53 to 151 billion liters. The aviation sector, in particular, is actively seeking raw materials that are not derived from food crops and that can become available on a larger scale.
Source: businesswire.com
Photo: josevi, Adobe Stock
