bp America Cherry Point Refinery lands $26M grant to build SAF production

In Washington state, bp America Cherry Point Refinery and Everett hydrogen-electric engine manufacturer ZeroAvia will receive large federal awards as part of over $36 million in grant funding for innovative sustainable aviation projects in the State of Washington provided under a grant program authored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. 

bp America’s Cherry Point Refinery in Blaine will receive $26,763,504 to build infrastructure and buy equipment to allow them to produce sustainable aviation fuel for the first time, using renewable biomass feedstocks. bp estimates being able to produce 10 million gallons of SAF per year. This new project would create 96 new jobs. bp’s SAF production will be key to supplying SAF to airports in the region via the Olympic Pipeline which runs from Ferndale to Portland and supplies fuel to Sea-Tac Airport. Their grant is the second-highest amount awarded in the nation during this round of funding among 36 total grants. Sen. Cantwell wrote a letter in support of the grant.

ZeroAvia, which has a hydrogen-electric propulsion R&D facility at Everett’s Paine Field, will receive $4,235,000 to accelerate the process of making their hydrogen-electric engines commercially available. In 2023, ZeroAvia conducted a successful test flight of the largest aircraft ever powered by a hydrogen-electric engine. They are currently working toward FAA approval of their propulsion system and growing their presence at Paine Field to support engine manufacturing. Sen. Cantwell wrote a letter in support of the grant.