Aug. 31—A welcome bit of good news arrived this week for the company working to convert the former oil refinery on Rosedale Highway into a 15,000-barrel-per-day renewable diesel processing plant.
Sustainable Oils Inc., a subsidiary of the refinery's Long Beach-based owner, Global Clean Energy Holdings Inc., announced it has secured an agreement with a large international company to sell a seed that's expected to supplement the feedstock planned to be processed at the Bakersfield facility.
Camelina sativa is an oilseed crop considered suitable for production of renewable diesel, which otherwise tends to be derived from used cooking oil and rendered animal fats.
Global Clean Energy spokeswoman Amanda DeRosier said by email Monday the company's agreement with Chinese-owned Syngenta Seeds LLC will lead to a greater volume of feedstock to supply the Bakersfield refinery "so that we can create even more ultra-low carbon renewable fuels."
Adding Midwest-grown camelina to the mix has been the plan since GCEH purchased the refinery in 2020. It would make the facility less dependent on oils and fats sought by competing renewable diesel processing plants in California.
The ongoing refinery conversion project has been harder than the company originally anticipated. The work has greatly exceeded the company's original budget for the job while also falling significantly behind schedule. It's become so problematic that the company that was supposed to buy all the facility's sustainable diesel, ExxonMobil Oil Corp., has taken steps to sever its relationship with GCEH.
DeRosier's email said the refinery is on track to begin operations this year.
GCEH promotes camelina as an ideal feedstock that can also be used in sustainable animal feed.
Camelina matures quickly, uses little water and produces resilient yields, the company said in a news release. It said the flowering plant can be grown on fallow land between crop cycles, acting like a cover crop that improves soil health.
Syngenta is known for selling seeds and pesticides. Its agreement with GCEH calls for selling camelina seeds through Syngenta Group's AgriPro dealer network. Farmers who buy the seed will receive a harvest purchase contract that lowers their marketing risk.
Syngenta Seeds' North American regional director, Eric Boeck, said in Monday's release that the agreement is a step toward promoting regenerative agriculture as well as renewable energy.
"By supporting farmers and offering a sustainable source of fuel and animal feed, this partnership represents a win-win for producers, the environment and the rural economy," he stated. "It embodies our commitment to sustainability and our drive to bring innovative solutions to market."