Delta Air Lines has joined Minnesota SAF Hub partners, along with federal and state policymakers, to celebrate the completion of a new sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending facility at Flint Hills Resources’ Pine Bend Refinery.

The development, according to stakeholders, marks a step forward in expanding SAF availability at Delta’s second-largest hub, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

SAF is an alternative jet fuel made from renewable feedstocks that can significantly reduce lifecycle carbon emissions compared to conventional jet fuel.

The new facility allows SAF to be blended locally with conventional jet fuel and delivered through existing pipeline infrastructure directly to MSP, where Delta uses approximately 250 million gallons of jet fuel annually.

The facility is capable of blending up to 30 million gallons of neat SAF annually, helping create the infrastructure needed to scale SAF use at one of Delta’s largest operations.

Delta and Flint Hills Resources first announced plans for the facility in September 2024. The plan is one of four key milestones identified by the Minnesota SAF Hub, a first-of-its-kind coalition launched in 2023 by Delta, Greater MSP Partnership, Bank of America, Ecolab and Xcel Energy to help build a regional SAF economy.

READ ALSO: IATA predicts $1.007trn as total revenues in 2025

Peter Carter, president of Delta Air Lines, joined Geoff Glasrud, Flint Hills Resources; Nick Alfano, EVP and President of Ecolab; Peter Frosch of Greater MSP; U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar; Governor Tim Walz; Congressman Brad Finstad; Speaker Lisa Demuth; and Senator Ann Rest, among other state, city and project leaders, in marking the occasion.

Commenting, Carter said “This facility is the culmination of a shared vision for Minnesota to become a leader in sustainable aviation fuel”.

“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”.

”SAF is safe to use in today’s aircraft engines and can be delivered through much of the existing fuel infrastructure already serving airports. However, SAF production remains limited, making investments in production, supply chains and infrastructure critical to scaling its use across the aviation industry” Carter added.