The sustainable aviation fuel industry is experiencing growth momentum in the United States, despite broader shifts in federal energy policy. The Montana Renewables facility in Great Falls received a $1.67 billion loan guarantee from the Energy Department, initially during the Biden administration in January 2025, which was subsequently restored by the Trump administration in February 2025. The facility plans to achieve a production capacity of 300 million gallons of SAF annually, utilizing inputs including animal fats, used cooking oil, and plant-based biomass such as camelina oil and distillers corn oil. The company announced that its blended SAF product was market-ready last October for distribution to regional aviation hubs.
A new initiative called the Minnesota SAF Hub launched a blending facility in Rosemont on July 27, designed to process up to 30 million gallons of neat SAF annually. This facility addresses a critical infrastructure requirement, as SAF must be blended and certified before use in commercial aircraft. The hub aims to produce 1 billion gallons of SAF per year for Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, with support from a $1.50-per-gallon state incentive and partnerships including Delta Airlines. The infrastructure represents a transition from isolated demonstration projects toward routine airport operations.
Shell Aviation is expanding its SAF presence significantly, announcing partnerships with Delta Airlines across five major US airports on July 15. The five-year agreement encompasses Los Angeles International, Portland International, John F. Kennedy International, and Logan International airports, aiming to establish consistency in SAF supply chain operations. Shell will manage infrastructure and logistics for both neat and blended fuel distribution, supporting next-generation SAF technologies including alcohol-to-jet and power-to-liquid pathways.
Electrofuel production, though more limited in the US market following recent policy changes, continues through firms like Infinium, whose Project Pathfinder facility in Texas operated in 2024, with the Project Roadrunner e-SAF facility under construction targeting 7.6 million gallons of annual production. Federal support for biomass-based fuels also continues through Department of Agriculture guidelines issued in June regarding regenerative agriculture practices. However, biomass faces challenges in broader power generation applications, with grid operators reporting minimal activity in this sector despite stated policy support.
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