GCE acquisition to support sustainable biofuels value chain
Global Clean Energy Holdings, Inc. (GCE), a vertically integrated renewable fuels company, has acquired Camelina Company España SL (CCE) , Europe’s largest innovator in the cultivation and production of camelina seeds. Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, Camelina Company España is internationally recognized for developing world-class intellectual property (IP) in camelina to support a sustainable value chain for biofuels. CEC’s intellectual property includes superior genetics and breeding abilities, high quality seeds, advanced agronomic research, and knowledge to support camelina cultivation by contract farmers.
Camelina Company España, in collaboration with Sustainable Oils, Inc. (SusOils), also a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Clean Energy, plans to continue improving the company’s portfolio of patented camelina-based genetic solutions. The two companies have been working together for some time to extend and harmonize their joint research and development activities. The combination of capacities will accelerate the development of several varieties of camelina and exclusive germplasm, so as to offer additional income opportunities to third-party camelina producers, under contract, both in North America and in Europe.
“The addition of the CCE to our family of companies, and its synergy with SusOils advances our goal of increasing the commercial value of camelina through improved agronomy and plant genetics. Together, CEC and SusOils will build on our combined decades of camelina research and development, focused on improving yield, reducing growth time, and altering the chemical properties of the oil, ”said Richard Palmer, president and CEO of GCE.
“This acquisition demonstrates our continued commitment to invest both nationally and internationally in science, infrastructure and farmer training, all necessary for the supply of high quality camelina raw materials to meet the growing global demand for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels, without displacing food crops or compromising safety food. This acquisition provides us with a well-established launch pad, conducive to rapid development in Europe and South America. “
Founded in 2010, Camelina Company España is the largest innovator and producer of camelina seeds in Europe. In 2013, it was the first global company to receive a sustainable development certification, awarded by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), a global sustainability standard and certification system for the production of biofuels and biomaterials. The company has extensive experience in the production of camelina throughout the value chain, having supplied sustainable and certified camelina oil for the production of aviation biofuels, as well as camelina flour, a source of high quality vegetable protein for the livestock feed industry. The company is currently running a plant breeding program with more than 600 camelina germplasm lines, and has nine proprietary camelina varieties, which allows for the sustainable introduction of camelina in different crop rotations without displacing any primary crops.
“We are excited about the important synergies that exist between CCE, GCE and SusOils,” said Yuri Herreras Yambanis, director of CCE. “The combination of the knowledge and skills of experts in the three organizations gives us the chance to advance both camelina research and production, so as to deliver profitable and sustainable benefits for both regenerative agriculture and the renewable fuel industry.”
Camelina is an essential part of the raw materials plan, and part of GCE’s integrated strategy, from farm to fuel. In early 2022, GCE will open a newly renovated renewable diesel biorefinery in Bakersfield, California, U.S.A. and will supply ExxonMobil with up to 220 million gallons of renewable diesel annually, under two long-term purchase agreements.
