4 Minutes with… Will Steiner, General Manager, Hawaii Oil Seed Producers

Agriculture, Business News/Analysis, Cooking Fuel, Farming/Growing, Federal Agency/Executive Branch, Feedstock, Feedstocks, Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues, grants, Hawai'i, Infrastructure, Opinions, R & D Focus, Sustainability

June 16, 2015

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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) HOSPRO is dedicated to battle the 95+% import of petroleum for energy and electricity generation by promoting the development of tree based oil seed crops. We are focusing on oil palm a proven producer in SE Asia. A University based proof of concept study based on 10,000 imported seeds grown to trees proved the trees will grow and produce in HI.

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The five year proof of concept study trees were farmed out to participating small holder farmers. The trees now are producing fruit and a USDA grant has been awarded to purchase an oil extraction mill and other grants are being sought to begin expansion. Since Hawaii also import all cooking oil and animal feed, We envision a production system that will not only produce fuel, cooking oil and animal feed but also integrated crops since our studies show cacao, coffee and tea can be grown between the trees. Working with the agro-tourism industry, we believe agricultural agro-tourism will benefit small farmers growing oil palm as well as it will demonstrate how Hawaii approaches sustainability and conservation by placing tens of thousands of abandoned sugar cane lands back into production. In the next 12 months we hope to produce our first cooking oil and biodiesel and establish the technology to be used for producing palm based oil.

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Demonstrate at least 400 gallons or more of oil/acre, test more hybrid trees to expand oil production, and expand the system to more than the 120 acres currently planted and producing. READ MORE and MORE (grant application) and MORE (LinkedIn)

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