Minnesota SAF Hub Celebrates Completion of SAF Blending Facility Serving MSP Airport
New infrastructure at Flint Hills Resources’ Pine Bend Refinery enables commercial-scale SAF blending, delivery and uplift at the MSP International Airport.
(St. Paul, Minn., July 24, 2026) — The Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Hub announced today that a new sustainable aviation fuel blending facility serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is now complete, marking a major step in launching Minnesota’s SAF economy. Photos from the event are attached.
“This facility is the culmination of a shared vision for Minnesota to become a leader in sustainable aviation fuel,” said Peter Carter, President of Delta Air Lines. “By expanding the infrastructure needed to support broader SAF adoption, it represents an important step toward turning that potential into reality. Delta is proud to be part of this effort and excited about the role Minnesota can play in advancing the future of sustainable aviation fuel.”
Located at Flint Hills Resources’ Pine Bend Refinery in Rosemount, Minn., the facility can accommodate up to 30 million gallons of neat SAF annually, blend it with conventional jet fuel and deliver blended SAF to MSP Airport through existing pipeline infrastructure. With this capability in place, SAF can now be supplied, blended, and uplifted at MSP Airport in commercial volumes, enabling use of Minnesota’s nation-leading SAF tax credit and solving a critical infrastructure bottleneck.
"This blending facility will serve as a critical nexus point for safely blending and transporting SAF to MSP,” said Geoff Glasrud, Vice President of Operations, Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. “We're very proud of our ability to support Minnesota’s flagship airport, our customers like Delta, and the flying public.”
SAF is a safe and certified alternative jet fuel, which can be made from many different feedstocks. To qualify for state and federal incentives, SAF must have at least 50% lower carbon emissions on a lifecycle basis. The facility is a critical link in Minnesota’s SAF value chain because neat SAF must be blended, tested and certified before it can enter the airport fuel supply and be used in today’s aircraft. As the industry continues to increase the number of flights and miles powered by SAF, blending remains a core requirement for safe, certified use in existing aircraft and airport fueling systems.
“This is the moment Minnesota’s SAF economy begins,” said Peter Frosch, President and CEO of the GREATER MSP Partnership. “Three years of hard work by dozens of partners in business, government, labor, research universities and local nonprofits have built an entirely new clean industry, anchored here, near the MSP Airport, and connected to the world.”
“By making SAF a reality in Minnesota, we are boosting rural communities, opening new markets, driving innovation, and increasing American energy security. This is made possible by a surprising collaboration among unlikely allies coming together with one shared purpose: to build an even stronger Minnesota.”
The Flint Hills Resources SAF blending capability consists of rail unloading systems, large volume storage tanks, underground pipelines, instrumentation and filtration systems, product quality controls, a state-of-the-art lab and a 10-mile pipeline directly to MSP. Neat SAF – produced in Montana – will railed in and blended with conventional fuel produced at Pine Bend. Flint Hills will be responsible for testing and certifying the SAF blends. Shell will supply the neat SAF and bring its expertise in product quality, supply chains and logistics to the team.
In September 2024, the Minnesota SAF Hub celebrated the first shipment of blended SAF to MSP Airport and Delta Air Lines’ first-ever commercial flight in North America fueled in part by SAF made from winter camelina. That demonstration showed that SAF could move through the value chain and into the fuel supply at MSP Airport. The newly completed blending facility builds on that proof point by establishing the infrastructure needed for commercial-scale SAF delivery in Minnesota.
The blending facility also creates a clear path to market for SAF producers evaluating where to sell future supply. By enabling SAF to be blended locally and delivered directly to MSP Airport, Minnesota now has a practical mechanism for producers, airlines and corporate customers to participate in SAF deployment and help scale the market.
Quotes from elected officials that spoke at the event are available upon request. Please reach out to Jane Kolar, jkolar@fluence-advisory.com.
About SAF
Sustainable aviation fuel is a safe and certified alternative jet fuel that can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions compared with conventional jet fuel. Neat SAF is produced using renewable or lower-carbon feedstocks and is blended with conventional jet fuel before use. Once blended and certified, SAF can be used in today’s aircraft and airport fueling systems without changes to existing engines or fueling infrastructure.
SAF is widely viewed as one of the most important tools available to reduce aviation emissions, particularly for long-haul flight where other technologies are not yet commercially available. However, SAF remains a nascent industry, and current global production is far below what airlines need to meet their climate goals.
About the Minnesota SAF Hub
The Minnesota SAF Hub is the nation’s first large-scale regional coalition committed to scaling production, delivery and use of sustainable aviation fuel to replace conventional jet fuel.
Led by the GREATER MSP Partnership, the Minnesota SAF Hub brings together the full SAF value chain, including leading businesses, airlines, fuel producers, agricultural partners, utilities, universities, airports, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The Hub is anchored by Bank of America, Delta Air Lines, Ecolab and Xcel Energy, with participation from the State of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the University of Minnesota and many others.
The Hub’s work is focused on making SAF real in Minnesota by advancing practical projects that connect supply, demand, infrastructure, policy and investment.
About GREATER MSP
The GREATER MSP Partnership is a coalition of more than 1,000 leaders from more than 300 leading businesses, universities, cities, counties and philanthropic organizations working together to accelerate competitiveness and inclusive economic growth in the 15-county Minneapolis–Saint Paul region while helping the region lead on the most difficult challenges of the new economy.
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Quotes of SAF HUB Partners and Supporters
"Less than two years ago, we set out to build the infrastructure needed to make sustainable aviation fuel a reality in Minnesota. Today, we're seeing the results of that vision," said Christophe Beck, Ecolab chairman and CEO and GREATER MSP Board chair. "This milestone demonstrates what's possible when business, government and academia come together. It is proof that innovation and partnership can turn complex challenges into opportunities. Together, we are creating economic opportunity, strengthening Minnesota's competitiveness and building a model others can follow. This is exactly how Minnesota can lead and win in the future.”
“Xcel Energy provides the sustainable, reliable and affordable electricity needed to power the Minnesota SAF Hub and help drive innovation and economic growth,” said Bob Frenzel, Chairman, President and CEO of Xcel Energy. “The SAF blending facility represents an important step toward a cleaner energy future and reinforces Minnesota’s leadership in sustainable aviation.”
Bank of America serves as an anchor founding parter of the Minnesota SAF Hub and participates in its Demand Consortium, supporting efforts to expand the sustainable aviation fuel value chain and increase availability of SAF for corporate and commercial use.
"The opening of this blending facility marks an important step in moving sustainable aviation fuel from ambition to commercial scale," said Lucas Giambelluca, president, Bank of America Twin Cities. "Scaling SAF requires coordinated investment across the value chain, and this milestone demonstrates what strong collaboration between the public and private sectors can achieve. Bank of America is proud to support the Minnesota SAF Hub as it helps expand the infrastructure and collaboration needed to support broader SAF deployment."
CONTACT: Don Ball
GREATER MSP
651-810-3153
Blois Olson
Fluence Advisory
651-276-1678