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Love's, Cargill partner in Heartwell Renewables to build 80-million-gallon plant to produce diesel from animal fat.

April 20, 2021

3 Min Read
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A joint venture between Love's and Cargill is bringing 50 jobs and a production plant to Hastings, Nebraska.

The Love’s Family of Companies, Cargill and their affiliates have entered into a 50/50 joint venture to produce and market renewable diesel, which is made from nonpetroleum renewable resources. The joint venture is called Heartwell Renewables. As part of the venture, a new production plant will be built in Hastings, Nebraska, where biodiesel will be produced from rendered animal fat, primarily beef tallow. Cargill will provide the feedstock, which is a rendered animal fat co-product. Groundbreaking is expected to occur within weeks, with the plant expected to begin operation in 2023.

The plant will have the ability to produce approximately 80 million gallons annually of renewable diesel. Once the diesel is produced, Musket, the commodity trading and logistics arm of the Love’s Family of Companies, 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 renewable diesel will be sold at more than 550 Love's gas stations.

“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 members of the Love’s Family of 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 due to its drop in carbon intensity and emissions. Renewable diesel also has a faster combustion speed, which brings more power to an engine and has been shown to lead to lower vehicle maintenance.

“At Cargill, we believe agriculture can be part of the solution to some of the world’s toughest challenges,” said John Niemann, Cargill’s North American lead for protein ingredients and international. “Through the partnership with Love’s, both companies can leverage their unique expertise and resources to address the growing demand for biofuels while making an impact in the communities where we operate.”

Once the plant opens, it will be one of only a handful of renewable diesel plants in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Department.

“The Heartwell Renewables facility presents an exciting combination of agriculture and renewable energy that will create new jobs and continue to grow our state’s economy,” said Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. “Nebraska is the ideal location for this venture, leveraging our expertise in production agriculture and renewable fuels. I look forward to watching Cargill and Love’s grow this endeavor in Hastings.”

Source: Cargill, Love's, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. 

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