Agrisoma, United Airlines and World Energy Complete Longest Transatlantic Biojet Flight

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Carinata is proving that it is a feedstock to be reckoned with, a compelling catalyst for change, with the latest news that Agrisoma, United Airlines and World Energy came together for the longest transatlantic biojet flight yet.

Lots of biofuel flights have been happening over the last few years, so why is this one different? First, at 11 hours long, it’s the longest transatlantic biojet flight yet. Second, it’s running on carinata, that beautiful yellow field of flowers that can’t help but make you smile when you drive by them. But what exactly is carinata? Why is it so captivating? What does this transatlantic biojet flight really mean for the future of this happy little plant, for Agrisoma, for the future of aviation?

Agrisoma CEO Steve Fabijanski told The Digest in an exclusive interview that these flights are demonstrating that the carinata crop has “legs beyond the diesel market. We’ve done over 20 million liters of diesel fuel, and this shows we can graduate to the jet market as well.”

The biojet fuel made from Agrisoma’s Carinata and refined by World Energy’s Paramount facility replaced 30 percent of the petroleum jet fuel needed for the United Airlines flight. While they could have gone higher, 30 percent just worked out to be the number with all the logistics, said Fabijanski.

Earlier this year, Agrisoma, Australia’s Qantas Airways and World Energy partnered on a transpacific flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne that used 10 percent biojet fuel produced from Carinata.

These flights have a huge impact for Agrisoma beyond renveue, extending to global visibility thanks to their relationships all over the world. With commercial agreements across the global aviation industry to supply carinata for a low-carbon fuel, and with carinata growers throughout North America, South America, and Australia they are truly a global force.

Their partnerships extend beyond the airlines and World Energy, and into their global processing partner into grain oil and meal, Groupe Avril, the largest ag co-op in France.

The acreage is impressive too. “We now have 50,000 acres contracted, and next year we are shooting for 100,000 acres – that’s the 70,000-90,000 ton range for crop,” said Fabijanski. “And we’re looking to double that in the future.”

About half of their carinata acreage is in North America and half in South America, but their trial programs in Australia and other locations are underway as they look to the future and growth that relies on additional carinata feedstock.

Second, Resonance Carinata meal recently received regulatory approval as an animal feed, “further underscoring the value of this crop to meet the increasing demand for renewable fuel and providing meal for the production of livestock,” according to Agrisoma. In fact, the byproduct of the biofuel production from carinata seeds is a high-protein animal feed, while the stems and leaves from the crop are returned to the field to enrich the soil for subsequent crops. Getting value from waste byproducts is a bonus, both environmentally and economically.

Third, Resonance Carinata is grown on semi-arid farmland, creating new economic and production opportunities for growers, especially those in hot and dry regions that can’t really grow much else or that have drought issues. It can also be used as a winter crop without affecting main crops, making it a nice side business for many farmers.

Fourth, Resonance Carinata is hardy – it puts up a strong fight against frost, insects and disease. It’s one tough cookie.