Calumet Is Now The Largest Producer Of Sustainable Aviation Fuel In North America. Topsoe Delivers Technology

• Calumet now produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD) from its Great Falls-refinery in Montana, USA
• Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology was used to revamp the existing refinery unit to produce renewable jet and diesel
• The production capacity of the Great Falls-plant is about 15,000 barrels per day, and it produces a mixture of renewable jet and diesel, based on waste oils and other low value feedstocks.

The demand for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) is rapidly growing, with IATA – the International Aviation Transport Association – estimating 120 billion gallons of SAF per year is needed for the airline sector to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. This compares to the estimated 75 million gallons of SAF being produced in 2022.

Topsoe, a global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, is dedicated to make a strong contribution to a decarbonized future including in sectors that cannot be directly electrified, including aviation.

For Calumet’s Great Falls refinery in Montana, now being operational producing both SAF and RD, Topsoe delivers its HydroFlex technology. Calumet serves markets in Canada and the US West Coast with low emission fuels.

Henrik Rasmussen, Managing Director, The Americas, Topsoe, said:
“It’s great to see the successful production of sustainable aviation fuel by Calumet. Actual production of SAF is crucial for decarbonizing aviation and demand for SAF will only grow the next many years. We’re excited to be working with the Calumet team on this very successful revamp to make renewable fuels.”

Bruce Fleming, CEO Montana Renewables and EVP Corporate Development, said:
“The production of renewable jet is another step toward our company’s strategic goal to help decarbonize the airline industry. It has been a good collaboration between the Calumet and the Topsoe Team and we are presently planning an expansion and a further increase to our SAF yield.”

What are renewable fuels?
Renewable fuels are low-carbon fuels made from renewable sources that are chemically identical to regular petroleum diesel or jet fuel. These renewable fuels produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions while performing the same as regular petroleum diesel or jet fuel. They can be used as a drop-in fuel without modification to engines or infrastructure. Renewable fuels are made from waste, animal fats, and used cooking oils, as well as organic materials such as soybean oils.

What is HydroFlex
With HydroFlex, customers can convert low-value feedstocks into drop-in renewable jet and diesel that meets all globally accepted specifications for these fuels. The innovative HydroFlex process layout offers lower capital expenditure (CAPEX), but also a lower energy consumption during operation, resulting in a lower Carbon Index (CI). Topsoe’s HydroFlex can be deployed in both grassroots units and revamps for co-processing or stand-alone applications. HydroFlex is by far the most successful renewable fuels technology globally.