Bayer and bp form strategic alliance to promote camelina as biofuel feedstock

German chemical giant Bayer and global energy giant bp are launching a long-term strategic collaboration to jointly scale camelina as a biofuel feedstock.

Camelina under the Newgold brand would initially be launched in North America, with bp contributing its expertise in fuels and refining, while Bayer would leverage its agricultural network and knowledge of seed development, Bayer said on 6 May.

The goal was to meet growing demand for biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – which combined was expected to almost triple in volume to around 150bn litres by 2040, Bayer said.

“The cooperation with bp enables us to bring camelina to the market as a crop and to operate along the entire value chain. This gives farmers more planning security when deciding on cultivation,” said Frank Terhorst, head of strategy and sustainability at Bayer’s Crop Science Division.

“We … want to use the plant’s potential worldwide to meet the demands of the growing biofuels market.”

As part of the initiative, Bayer has introduced Newgold camelina in the Northern Plains of the USA and in the Southern Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta regions of Canada.

Bayer said camelina required fewer inputs such as pesticides or fertilisers and could be grown in spring and winter.

In addition, it was hardy, resistant to premature pod bursting and more resistant to drought and suitable for cultivation on fallow or little-used land as well as within classic crop rotations, which allowed farmers to avoid any competition with food production.

Fuel derived from camelina had a lower CO₂ intensity compared to fuel from fossil sources, Bayer said.

The strategic alliance between the two companies followed Bayer’s acquisition of camelina assets from Smart Earth Camelina Corp announced at the end of January 2025.

This article has been republished from The Oils & Fats International.