Tasmanian Poppy Seeds to Become Biodiesel
by Warren McLaren, Sydney 
on 05.12.08
Previously it was the ‘Diesel Tree’ being gown in Northern Queensland. Now in the far south of Australia, in Tasmania we find a plan to extract biodiesel for poppy seed. The small island state supplies about half of the world’s medicinal opiate market, with 1,000 or so farmers growing the crop under strict license for use in the manufacture of morphine and codeine. The poppy seeds have no effective narcotic content and are used as a nutty additive to breads. The seeds holds up to 50% of a high quality oil similar to sunflower oil. It is this oil, a by-product of the medicinal cultivation that is being considered as a biodiesel feed-stock.
Poppy seeds are already apparently being used as furnace oil. The idea now is for entrepreneurial firm, Macquarie Oils, to annually turn the seeds into 5 million litres of biofuel, for use by large corporate customers such as Hydro Tasmania and Metro Buses. The company is not afraid of experimenting. They have already worked with or or investigating the viability of fennel, industrial hemp, linseed, mustard, used cooking oil and tallow. ::Stateline, via Ecomedia.
Photo: ABC News: Damien McIntyre
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If you're interested in learning more about advanced feedstocks--such as algae--you should check out the Renewable Energy Finance Forum-Wall Street (www.REFFWallStreet.com), held June 18-19 in New York City. One of the official event sessions will feature representatives from the Biomass Coordinating Council, Morgan Stanley, and UBS Investment Bank in a discussion about the future for biofuels and biodiesel. Other topics for discussion at the event will include solar power, wind energy, and the economic and policy factors fueling renewable energy development.
Because cars need our food more than we do...
Mandy, it's a by-product. The demand for poppy for pharmaceuticals massively outstrips the demand for poppy seed as a food.
I grew up in Tasmania and the amount of poppys is staggering, in summer you sometimes get poppy storms, where wind gusts blows the petals of the flowers and it's like snow with a pink tinge.
Besides Tasmania is so far from anywhere the food miles it racked up would be huge.
To Dr. Warren McLaren
I was very amazed when I read about your article regarding tasmanian poppy seeds being used as biodiesel. I am a student and interested to work on a science investigatory project. I am wondering how you were able to extract the biodiesel from the poppy seeds. I would very much appreciate it if you could share to me the process of extracting the biodiesel. Thank you so much.