Japanese trading house Sumitomo has joined an Australian pongamia plantation project to explore the oilseed crop's potential as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Sumitomo will work alongside Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan, US agricultural innovation firm Terviva, and Australian mining company Stanmore Resources on the pilot project, which will cover around 50 hectares (0.5km²) of land near coal mines operated by Stanmore in Queensland state, the firm said on 14 December.
Pongamia is an inedible oilseed valued for its high oil content and ability to grow in drought-stricken regions, while enriching the soil with nitrogen. These attributes may help to avoid some common biofuel industry concerns, such as sustainability and food-versus-fuel issues. But pongamia is not yet used in biorefineries on a commercial-scale
This is Sumitomo's first venture into SAF feedstock production using vegetable oils via its Energy Solutions business. The company already operates energy projects in Australia, including gas field developments and a proposed green hydrogen plant in Australia's Latrobe Valley with Japanese energy company J-Power.
Australia has seen growing interest in pongamia-based projects, including bioenergy developer Jet Zero's 10ha plantation of pongamia. Mining major Rio Tinto announced in July that it is on track to plant 130,000 pongamia trees this year at its 2,250ha plantation near Townsville in northern Queensland.

