In Minnesota, the state’s plan to lead in Sustainable Aviation Fuel includes the Midwest’s first SAF blending facility, set to open by 2025 at Flint Hills Resources’ Pine Bend refinery, which will blend up to 30 million gallons of SAF annually. Minnesota’s ambitious SAF plan, led by the GREATER MSP Partnership, is backed by major partners including Delta Air Lines, Ecolab, Xcel Energy, and Bank of America.
Peter Carter, Delta’s executive vice president of External Affairs said, “While Delta has committed to purchasing millions of gallons of SAF, there isn’t enough being produced today to fuel the world’s commercial airlines for a single week. That’s why this blending facility is so important – it’s like hanging an ‘Open for Business’ sign to SAF producers to consider doing business in Minnesota.”
Another major development within Minnesota’s SAF plan includes the conversion of Gevo’s Luverne ethanol plant into a SAF production facility, funded by a $16.8 million federal grant. This conversion will bring local SAF production to Minnesota, strengthening the state’s role in decarbonizing aviation.
Additionally, University of Minnesota partners are developing winter camelina, a low-carbon crop for SAF production. The first shipment of camelina-derived SAF is expected at MSP this fall.
