Montana Renewables is expanding sustainable aviation fuel production using domestic feedstocks such as beef tallow and seed oil, transported by rail to refineries. Jim Simon, the company’s senior vice president, stresses the fully U.S.-based supply chain and its role in energy resilience. Corporate investments from American Airlines and Google aim to unlock about 35 million gallons of SAF over three years, but current SAF production (~30,000 barrels/day) remains far below U.S. jet-fuel demand (~1.7 million barrels/day). The disparity raises concerns that SAF will need substantial scaling to meet airline needs.
Montana Company Scales Up Sustainable Aviation Fuel Using U.S. Farm Feedstocks
Montana company bets on sustainable aviation fuel
Montana Renewables is ramping up production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by converting U.S.-sourced agricultural byproducts into jet fuel intended for domestic air travel. The company emphasizes a fully domestic supply chain that moves feedstocks from farms to refineries by rail.
How It Works
The conversion process is chemically sophisticated but conceptually straightforward: feedstocks such as beef tallow and seed oil are collected from farms, loaded onto railcars, delivered to a refinery, processed and blended, and then subjected to laboratory testing before being distributed for use in commercial aircraft.
“This is all U.S.-based feedstocks going to U.S.-based air travel. There’s nothing about what we’re doing here that leaves the country,” said Jim Simon, senior vice president of operations and transformation at Montana Renewables.
Energy Security And Market Resilience
Those railcars carrying feedstocks are a central part of the company’s resilience strategy: by relying on domestic inputs and transport networks, Montana Renewables says it can help blunt the impact of global conflicts and market volatility on fuel supplies.
Jim Simon, senior vice president of operations and transformation at Montana Renewables, speaks during an interview at a company facility. (NewsNation)
Policy And Investment Momentum
The federal government is pushing refiners and importers to blend more renewable fuel each year, while corporate commitments — including investments from American Airlines and Google — are expected to unlock roughly 35 million gallons of SAF over the next three years.
The Scale Challenge
Despite growing momentum, SAF production remains small compared with conventional jet fuel demand. U.S. commercial aviation consumes about 1.7 million barrels of jet fuel per day, while current SAF production is approximately 30,000 barrels per day — roughly enough to power about a half hour of total U.S. air traffic. That gap has prompted concern across the airline industry that SAF cannot yet be scaled quickly enough to meet demand.
What Montana Renewables Is Doing
Montana Renewables continues to optimize its operations and refine conversion processes to increase efficiency and output. By turning leftover cooking materials from restaurants and agricultural byproducts into fuel, the company aims to contribute to a cleaner, more resilient aviation fuel supply for flights across the United States.
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