Commercialising thermo-stable rapeseed oil for the bio-lubricants industry

Oilseed rape is the UK’s third largest crop. As well as being edible, rapeseed oil is used extensively in biodiesel. There is potential for higher-value industrial uses, for example in applications such as lubricants and hydraulic fluids, to which it brings advantages of low toxicity and biodegradability. However, rapeseed oil is thermally unstable, due to a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Recent advances in predictive mutation breeding have led to the development of oilseed rape lines in which this problem has been solved. To overcome the final hurdle to commercialisation, we aim to characterise temperature responses in controlled environments of a range of these lines and investigate more closely the agronomy of these new varieties through field trials, to maximise oil content and seed yield Whilst doing this, we will produce sufficient quantities of the new types of rapeseed oil to distribute to commercial users for evaluation.