Researchers at Montana State University-Northern (MSU) have
developed a process to convert camelina oil to jet fuel and other high-value
chemicals. MSU has applied for a United States patent and research
is ongoing.
Using a continuous-flow process at low temperature and
pressure, the technology yields butane, pentane, gasoline, diesel,
triglycerides, and oleo-chemicals, among other products, although the research
is primarily directed at jet fuel production. Jet fuels produced in this manner
meet the applicable American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard.
The U.S.
consumes about 22 billion gallons of jet fuel from the 73 billion gallons
produced worldwide. Recent studies have indicated that aircraft contribute to
about 3.5% of the emissions linked to climate change. Fuel derived from oil
seed such as camelina would dramatically lower those impacts.
To date, there are only a couple of methods for making
advanced renewable jet fuels that have been certified by ASTM. One of those is
done with the Fischer-Tropsch method commonly known as part of the coal
gasification process. Both are require a lot of energy to produce and both have
potentially lower blending ratios than the process being developed by Nestor
Soriano, Randy Maglinao, and Akash Narani of the Bio Energy Center at Montana State
University-Northern.
