Montana Renewables completed ramp up of unit operations and delivered the successful startup of a feedstock pretreatment unit during the second quarter of 2023. The Great Falls, Montana-based facility produces renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Montana Renewables is a subsidiary of Calumet Specialty Products Partners L.P. Calumet discussed plant operations during a second quarter update released July 10.

According to Calumet, Montana Renewables is now the largest producer of SAF in North America. "The Montana Renewables team delivered on our first mover strategy and quickly adapted to our new processing capabilities" said Todd Borgmann, Calumet CEO. "We worked through the expected new equipment teething problems at an excellent pace, and we enter the next quarter on track to demonstrate the steady-state earnings power of this business." 

The feedstock pretreatment unit was developed by Applied Research Associates Inc. "Commissioning and ramp-up of our next generation pretreater was a carefully calculated decision that paid off, with the industry watching as serial number one of the ARA continuous process performed as planned. This fully unlocks the huge feedstock optionality that comes with our advantaged location," said Bruce Fleming, CEO of Montana Renewables and executive vice president of corporate development. 

ARA announced the successful startup of the hydrothermal cleanup (HCU) pretreatment unit on May 31, noting the unit can process 10,000 barrels per day of low carbon intensity (CI) waste fat, oil and grease feedstocks with near 100 percent yield of clean organic product.

“The successful startup of our first commercial HCU Pretreat unit marks a significant achievement for ARA,” said Chuck Red, vice president of ARA in a May 31 statement. “We are proud to collaborate with Montana Renewables to bring this game-changing technology to commercial scale. They have engineered and built a world-class pretreatment system.”

According to Calumet, Montana Renewables is entering the third quarter running 12,500 barrels per day of renewable feedstock. The company said feedstock mix is currently 8,000 barrels per day of untreated and 4,500 barrels per day of treated safety stock as the facility rotates from clean to dirty inventory.

Approximately 50 percent of renewable diesel production is currently being sold into Canada, while all of the SAF production is being delivered to Shell Aviation.

The company previously reported that initial SAF capacity will be in the range of 2,000 to 4,000 barrels per day. The company is also considering a pivot to what it calls max SAF, which would expand total renewables capacity to 18,000 barrels per day, including 15,000 barrels per day of SAF.