A fuel that can burn without any modifications to the existing engines of passenger fleets around the world.
This fuel comes from one Canadian firm, Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., and an American one, Applied Research Associates (ARA). And while biofuels often comes from corn or soybean oil, this comes from a less familiar oilseed that can grow well in poor soils.
Brassica carinata is technically in the mustard family, but many members of the brassica genus (group of species) are better known as leafy vegetables such as cabbage and cauliflower.
“Carinata can be another success story for Canada like canola,” said Chuck Red, principal engineer at ARA.
The pluses are partly agricultural, Red said. Carinata grows in marginal soil where canola won’t. It can be used in rotation with other crops, or during a period when a field would normally be fallow. For instance, in Southeastern U.S. states where farmers sometimes grow one crop in summer and let the land lie fallow in winter, they can plant a winter carinata crop instead.
He estimated one acre of the plant produces 100 to 200 gallons of jet fuel.
The seeds are small and light brown. They produce a yellow-brown plant oil that is already used as a “feedstock” (raw material) for some industrial oils such as biodiesel.
The final refined product meets specifications for commercial jet use with no need to blend in any petroleum-based fuel, he said.
To the untrained eye the transparent liquid bio fuel appears identical to petroleum-based jet fuel.
"It turns into essentially drop-in fuel that looks and acts identical to conventional jet fuel," explained Fabijanski, adding that increased oilseed production to make the fuel would not adversely impact food farming.
"The farmers that we use to grow this seed are farmers that have land that is not particularly good for food production. By growing this seed you actually enhance or improve the land for eventual food production," he said.
The cost of production for commercial use has yet to be calculated. But Chuck Red of Applied Research Associates insisted it would be "cost competitive" with petroleum-based fuel, when in full production.