Facility That Will Process Pennycress into Fuel Gets Boost by Federal Funds
by Steve Tarter (Journal Star) A biodiesel plant in Peoria County moved a step closer to reality Monday as U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock announced $500,000 in funding to help develop a new source for the biofuel. That source is pennycress, a member of the mustard family with seeds that contain 36 percent oil – twice as much as soybeans. The Peoria Republican noted that what makes pennycress attractive to area farmers is that the oil crop, once considered a weed, could be planted in the fall and harvested in late spring, allowing producers to “double crop” on one piece of land.
Schock said the plant had another advantage: The development of pennycress won’t get caught up in the food-versus-fuel debate that has swirled over the expanded use of corn and soybeans as biofuels. As a winter cover crop, pennycress also will reduce soil erosion, said Schock. READ MORE
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