TOKYO: Idemitsu Kosan will start a trial plantation of the non-edible oilseed tree crop Pongamia in Australia from mid-January to evaluate its potential as a feedstock for sustainable aviation gas (SAF), Japan’s No 2 crude oil refiner mentioned on Thursday (Jan 9).
The plantation shall be carried out in collaboration with Terviva, a US firm with over a decade of analysis and cultivation experience in Pongamia, Idemitsu mentioned in an announcement.
Pongamia, a leguminous plant distributed in Southeast Asia and Oceania, is a extremely environment friendly non-edible oilseed crop that doesn’t compete with meals manufacturing, in keeping with Idemitsu.
Idemitsu, aiming to determine a provide system for 500,000 kilolitres of SAF yearly by 2030, mentioned it has additionally invested in Terviva, it mentioned, however didn’t disclose the funding particulars.
Via the trial plantation, Idemitsu will consider long-term cultivation strategies for Pongamia and the right way to optimize the availability chain from cultivation to SAF manufacturing.
Idemitsu can even discover extra makes use of for Pongamia, together with creating carbon credit by means of afforestation, producing biomass energy pellets from Pongamia shells, and utilizing pressed oilseed cake as livestock feed.
Oil extracted from its seeds is anticipated to function a feedstock for sustainable aviation gas manufacturing, the corporate mentioned.
SAF is taken into account essential for the aviation sector to succeed in its aim of web zero carbon emissions by 2050, however its adoption stays in a nascent section.
SAF makes up solely round 0.3 per cent of worldwide jet gas utilization and is projected to succeed in simply 0.7 per cent by 2025, in keeping with knowledge from airline commerce physique IATA. Specialists emphasize that the manufacturing fee of the inexperienced gas must develop rapidly for the sector to attain its emissions targets.
