Company looking at Havre biofuel plant

A Montana company is exploring the possibility of building a plant in Havre to process a clean-burning airplane fuel additive.

Representatives with Big Fork-based Omega Grains LLC, including the company’s CEO, Carlos Rubione, came to Montana State University-Northern Monday. The visitors met with Chancellor Greg Kegel and researchers at Northern’s Advanced Fuels Center to discuss helping commercialize the fuel center’s patented clean-burning aviation fuel additive, a press release from The Advanced Fuel Center said.

Duane Johnson, a consultant with the company, said today in a phone interview that the company is looking at the economic feasibility of setting up a production facility at the Biofuel Industrial Park. The park is near the Montana State University’s Northern Agriculture Research Center south of Havre.

Johnson said the idea is in the pilot stage, adding that while he is pretty convinced of the idea’s merit, he has other investors who want to see the details.

The facility would be used to extract oil from camelina seeds and then convert it into the fuel additive. Omega Grains would also seek to find farmers who would grow the crop.

Dean of the College of Technical Sciences Larry Strizich, who also met with the visitors, said Tuesday that Omega Grains is interested in possibly partnering with Northern to market the additive made from camelina, a flowering plant and cover crop distantly related to canola.

Omega Grains already grows camelina in Argentina, where the company has processing facilities. Since last week, they have been investigating possibility of partnering with Northern on it’s patented fuel additive, and building additional facilities in the U.S, the release said.

Northern holds the patent for the aviation fuel additive derived from camelina, and money gained from Northern licensing that technology could provide the campus with a steady stream of revenue, Strizich said.

“We provide one piece of the puzzle and there are just a lot of other pieces of the puzzle that have to come together, including producers,” he said.

Strizich said that Rubione and his associates seemed impressed with Northern’s capabilities and the research it has done so far.

Omega representatives have also discussed possible future plans with north-central Montana farmers, Northern Agricultural Research Center and Bear Paw Development Corp., Strizich said.

Strizich said north-central Montana is well-suited for the opportunity. The crop grows well in the Montana climate and it serves as a good rotation crop.

Unlike other crops used for biofuels such as corn-based ethanol, the development of camelina fuels would not divert produce from the food supply, he said.