EarthDaily Agro, a division of geospatial analytics firm EarthDaily Analytics, has been selected by Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary Sustainable Oils, Inc., to bolster their Climate-Smart Camelina Project. The objective is to enhance the adoption of camelina in the renewable fuels marketplace.
The partnership, funded by a $30 million Climate-Smart Commodities Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), aims to develop camelina as an ultra-low carbon renewable fuel feedstock and to construct associated climate-smart renewable fuels markets. Initially, the project will target the Western U.S., with further expansion plans to other regions suitable for camelina production. As camelina has not been widely cultivated historically, EarthDaily Agro will produce the first comprehensive dataset on its economic viability and production yield, setting the foundation for mainstream cultivation and renewable fuel production.
Dave Gebhardt, General Manager of EarthDaily Agro, expressed pride in partnering with Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils, recognized leaders in the expanding renewable fuels industry. EarthDaily Agro’s Earth Observation and geospatial analytics will offer crucial business intelligence to support these efforts.
Kevin Monk, Sustainable Oils’ Vice President of Ag Technology, emphasized the importance of EarthDaily Agro’s geospatial analytics and data processing in optimizing production to meet the growing demand for camelina. He acknowledged that such insights enable them to make informed decisions about cultivating and commercializing camelina as a high-potential, low-carbon renewable fuel feedstock.
Through its satellite-derived, scientific-grade geospatial data, EarthDaily Agro offers key change detection, yield trend modeling, carbon indexing, and crop cycle detection. This information enables current camelina growers to optimize yields and supports broader adoption of camelina by providing relevant economic and agronomic feasibility information.
In 2024, EarthDaily plans to launch a new Constellation that will provide enhanced data about vegetation, water, atmosphere, and soil to ag customers, including Global Clean Energy.
Monk highlighted that camelina, able to grow on otherwise idle acres, offers a viable renewable fuel feedstock solution without causing land-use change. He estimated that over 100 million camelina opportunity acres exist worldwide. He added that camelina holds immense potential for energizing the renewable fuels sector, simplifying global supply lines for critical commodities like renewable diesel, reinforcing domestic energy supply chains, and providing extra income for farmers.
Gebhardt expressed excitement about agriculture’s potential to address pressing environmental challenges, from carbon sequestration to climate action, and now next-generation renewable fuels. He hailed agricultural analytics from EarthDaily Agro as a powerful tool used by leading agribusinesses and expressed pride in partnering with innovative companies like Global Clean Energy and Sustainable Oils for sustainable solutions.
Image provided by EarthDaily Agro
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