St. Paul MN -- Forever Green researchers’ work on winter camelina was in the news this week as the MN Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Hub announced that the coalition is working to bring the first shipment of camelina-derived SAF to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this fall. Winter camelina, a winter-hardy oilseed crop, shows great promise as a source of SAF. Its oil has a very low carbon intensity (CI) score and growing it over the winter can protect soil and improve water quality.
Forever Green Co-Director Mitch Hunter was on hand for the announcement with fellow Forever Green partner, Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP) Executive Director Steve Morse.
“This announcement signals a significant step forward for winter camelina production across Minnesota. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel market will create opportunities for farmers, and growing this crop over the winter will protect soil and water quality,” said Hunter.
The shipment is part of an effort by Flint Hills Resources and Delta Airlines to develop a SAF blending facility at the Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount by the fourth quarter of 2025. The creation of the blending facility will pave the way for expanding camelina SAF in the future. It will likely be the first such facility between the coasts that can blend SAF with conventional fuel.
The announcement caps off a year of work by the Minnesota SAF Hub coalition, anchored and supported by a variety of leading institutional partners, including Forever Green at the University of Minnesota.
Read the full press release here.