This month Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie introduced a new oilseed crop research program—the Biodiesel Crop Demonstration Project—that will span two years as part of the state's effort to promote energy security and sustainable local agricultural technologies on the islands. The BDC is a collaborative effort between Pacific Biodiesel Inc., the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center and Army Installation Management Command, Pacific.
Joining Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie at the press conference to help launch the project were Marine Corps Base Hawaii Commanding Officer Col. Jeffrey Woods, Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirone and Kelly King, vice president of Pacific Biodiesel. Abercrombie initiated a $2.4 million appropriation for the project during his time as a Hawaii congressman.
Now that the BDC is launched, King said the first priority is to hire consultants and project managers to determine which locations are suitable to grow which oilseed crops for biodiesel production. Short-term crops such as sunflower or safflower are likely candidates to be planted as part of the BDC project, King said, at potential sites on the Big Island, Maui and central Oahu.
Additionally, the BDC project is expected to draw specialty harvesting equipment into the state, something that's new to Hawaii from what it has traditionally used to for these types of agricultural practices and applications, King said.
King said Pacific Biodiesel intends to convert the oils into methyl esters at the company's Big Island Biodiesel production plant, once construction on the facility is complete.
