Technoeconomic analysis of small-scale farmer-owned Camelina oil extraction as feedstock for biodiesel production: A case study in the Canadian prairies

• Camelina farm cultivation and oilseed value-added processing is integrated.
• Mechanical extraction of camelina oil is modelled using SuperPro.
• Agricultural region, plant location and supplies are studied.
• Farm owned small scale crushing plant has low capital investment.
• High oil content and seed yield are essential for processing plant profitability.

This study evaluated costs and profitability associated with small scale camelina oil extraction plant in the Canadian Prairies for the purpose of selling camelina oil for further biodiesel production. In this case, Camelina sativa is targeted for production on underutilized summerfallow land to avoid displacement of crop lands. Saskatchewan soil zone 7A has the capacity to provide camelina for oil extraction based on small scale capacities of 30,000–120,000 t annum−1 and capital investment of $10-24 million. Oil production price is reduced with increased camelina oil content, field yield, plant scale, and camelina meal price. Oil production costs range from $0.39 to $1.88 L−1 when camelina meal has a market value of $0.30 kg−1. These results provide an informative basis for investment decisions by farmers and investors vis-à-vis the advancement of farm-adoption of camelina as a dedicated industrial crop, as well as the development of an integrated camelina-to-processing oilseed value-chain.