HASTINGS, Neb.—Renewable diesel is in big demand, and to meet the need, The Love’s Family of Companies, Cargill and their affiliates have entered into a 50/50 joint venture to produce and market the green fuel under the name Heartwell Renewables, the companies have announced.

The venture will result in a new production plant, creating more than 50 jobs in Hastings, Nebraska. The plant will be able to to produce about 80 million gallons of renewable diesel annually.

Cargill will provide feedstock in the form of tallow, a rendered animal fat co-product after protein processing. Once the diesel is produced, Musket, Love’s commodity trading and logistics arm, will transport and market the product in the United States. Heartwell Renewables will be the only entity of its kind to both produce and market renewable diesel all the way to the retail pump, the companies said.

“Heartwell Renewables expands the commitment from the Love’s Family of Companies to reduce carbon emissions,” said JP Fjeld-Hansen, vice president of Musket and Trillium, two Houston-based Love’s companies. “When considering the environmental benefits and performance enhancements of renewable diesel, the creation of Heartwell Renewables is a long-term win for not only the companies involved but also for consumers and the environment.”

The production process makes renewable diesel chemically identical to petroleum diesel with significant improvements in environmental performance because of its drop in carbon intensity and emissions. Renewable diesel also has a faster combustion speed, which brings more power to an engine and can help lower vehicle maintenance.

Construction of the plant begins soon, and operations should start in the spring of 2023. Once the plant opens, it will be among a limited number of renewable diesel plants in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Department.

To learn more about biodiesels, be sure to read “Fuel of the Future?” in NACS Magazine, and visit Fuels Market News, published by NACS, for comprehensive coverage of the fuels industry.

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