Nufarm and bp partner on biomass oil for sustainable aviation fuel

Nufarm, a global leader in crop improvement based in Australia, has announced a research and development collaboration with UK-based energy major bp to accelerate the development of biomass oil technology for future bioenergy applications. This partnership builds on Nufarm’s existing consortium with world-class research partners and aims to transform vegetative parts of crops, such as leaves and stems, into sustainable feedstocks for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.

The collaboration leverages Nufarm’s expertise in high-biomass crops like energy cane and forage sorghum and bp’s advanced processing and fuel technology. According to ReFuelEU Aviation Legislation, SAF currently accounts for only 0.5% of global jet fuel usage in the EU, but mandates require this figure to rise to 2% by 2025, 20% by 2035, and 70% by 2050. This partnership aims to contribute significantly toward achieving these ambitious targets.

Nufarm CEO Greg Hunt highlighted the initiative’s potential, stating, “This technology, and associated know-how, further enhances Nufarm’s novel, sustainable, and scalable oils strategy, in high biomass crops like energy cane and forage sorghum. It provides the potential for a new transformational oils platform.”

Nigel Dunn, senior vice president biofuels at bp, says, “Biofuels can play a critical role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like aviation. We are delighted to expand on our collaboration with Nufarm and the complementary strengths that they bring. We look forward to working with them to unlock the potential of this technology and deepening the existing relationship we enjoy in scaling up the development of cover crops like carinata.”

Global demand for biofuels continues to grow due to the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions. This agreement exemplifies how strategic collaborations can address complex challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.