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HASTINGS, NEBRASKA, March 18, 2024 – Gov. Jim Pillen kicked off his Ag Week activities with a roundtable discussion about value-added agriculture Monday at Blue Fork Kitchen in Hastings.

A panel of experts offered insight into the growth of bioeconomy in Nebraska and opportunities that exist to expand agriculture.

Representatives from various parts of the chain explained the industry from their perspectives, starting with second-generation Hastings area farmer Lance Atwater.

Chad Engle with the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center near Clay Center discussed cattle production as well as research used to provide data to improve practices.

David McCullough, business director of byproducts at Cargill, spoke of the Heartwell Renewables joint venture with The Love’s Family of Companies to turn tallow into biodiesel.

Wayne Garrett is general manager for Chief Ethanol Fuels, which turns grain into about 125 million gallons of ethanol a year. He said Chief is starting to examine ways to capture carbon emissions from the fermentation process and transfer it to the Tallgrass Energy
Partners pipeline.

Alison Nelson, vice president of business development with Tallgrass, said the company’s efforts in decarbonized energy infrastructure led them to convert its Trailblazer natural gas pipeline into a carbon pipeline.

“We’ve spent $1.5 billion in Nebraska to help keep Nebraskans at the front of bioenergy,” she said.

Pillen spoke in his capacity as governor, but comes with a background in hog farming.

Pillen expects bioenergy to evolve quickly and wishes to see Nebraska at the forefront of the growing industry. By taking advantage of value-added opportunities, he would like to see all agricultural products used to create new products before leaving the state.

“Our goal is not to export a kernel of corn,” he said. “We lose value for every mile grain has to travel from the farm. We want to focus on the land and the people on the land.”

One way to do that is for the state to become a leader in carbon sequestration.

“If we are going to be a leader, CO2 sequestration is something that has to be taking place,” Pillen said. “I believe we are going to have so much economic activity, rural areas will be growing.” He is seeking to secure federal funds for the state to advance the bioenergy industry. He said ag producers need to embrace the new technology to see economic development in the state.

Pillen said there sometimes is a stigma against taking federal money.

Pillen demonstrated this firsthand in December 2023 when he elected to reject federal funding to help feed children over summer break. He later reversed course and accepted roughly $18 million in federal aid.

Through conversations with the governor of Oklahoma, Pillen said, he has come to realize the advantages of using federal tax money. He noted Oklahoma was ranked 10th in federal funding received by a state while Nebraska ranked 49th.

“We can’t compete with our neighbors if we don’t accept federal dollars,” he said.

In order to adopt new technologies, Atwater stressed the importance of providing information relevant to farmers in their individual operations. Since profitability is going to be key when looking at future generations, he said it’s crucial for any carbon collection to be economical.

“As a farmer, I want more information,” he said. “Any company that is going to do a carbon program, we really need the information at a farm level.”

Engle said three things have to happen to get producers to embrace a change such as carbon sequestration.

“It’s got to be affordable and turn a profit back into their operators,” he said. “And they have to understand it.”

Along with producers, Nelson said Tallgrass has deployed a public relations team to meet with community groups to discuss concerns of the public. Safety has been one the largest concerns, leading the company to prepare a robust training and grant program for first responders who may have to deal with a broken pipeline.

“In the unlikely event of a pipeline leak, your first responders are trained and equipped to handle it,” she said.

Will Vraspir
[email protected]

HASTINGS, NEBRASKA, November 4, 2022 – Yesterday, Heartwell Renewables, a unique joint venture between The Love’s Family of Companies and Cargill broke ground on its new renewable diesel processing facility, the only entity of its kind, in Hastings, Nebraska. The new state-of-the-art facility is projected to have an annual production capacity of 80 million gallons of renewable diesel and will support the growing demand for green fuel products. The company anticipates the project to be completed in the summer of 2024 and create over 60 new jobs. The new Hastings facility is a first of its kind to both manufacture and distribute this fuel all the way to the retail pump.

“With record-high gas prices in recent months, there’s never been a better time to tout the benefits of biofuels. Renewable fuels save drivers money at the pump, help clean up the environment by reducing toxic emissions, and strengthen our number one industry—agriculture—by creating demand for the crops and livestock our farm families grow. Renewable diesel represents an additional opportunity to use Nebraska corn oils, soybean oils, and animal fats to produce clean fuels for our nation’s energy supply. Congratulations to Heartwell Renewables for breaking ground on your new facility here in Hastings!”

Nebraska Lt. Governor Mike Foley

“We’re thrilled to become a part of the Hastings community and expand Cargill’s footprint in Nebraska. We see strong potential in the growth and competitiveness of the renewable diesel industry and look forward to bringing the strengths of both our companies to bear to achieve a high-quality product with an efficient supply chain process.”

Hans Kabat, president of Cargill’s North America protein business

“The Love’s Family of Companies is always looking for new and innovative ways to better serve customers.  We are excited to partner with Cargill in the creation of this new state-of-the-art renewable diesel refinery, as we continue to invest in renewable fuel offerings to provide our customers access to sustainable fueling alternatives.”

Spencer Haines, Chief Financial Officer, Love’s Family of Companies

HASTINGS, NEBRASKA, April 20, 2021 – The Love’s Family of Companies, Cargill and their affiliates have entered into a unique 50/50 joint venture to produce and market renewable diesel – a green fuel experiencing strong, rising demand. The joint venture is called Heartwell Renewables and will result in the construction of a new production plant and more than 50 jobs in Hastings, Nebraska. The plant will have the ability to produce approximately 80 million gallons annually of renewable diesel.

As part of the joint venture, Cargill will provide feedstock in the form of tallow, a rendered animal fat co-product following protein processing. Once the diesel is produced, Musket, the commodity trading and logistics arm of the Love’s Family of Companies, will transport and market the product in the United States. Heartwell Renewables will be the only entity of its kind to both produce and market renewable diesel all the way to the retail pump.

“Heartwell Renewables expands the commitment from the Love’s Family of Companies to reduce carbon emissions,” said JP Fjeld-Hansen, vice president of Musket and Trillium, two Houston-based members of the Love’s Family of Companies. “When considering the environmental benefits and performance enhancements of renewable diesel, the creation of Heartwell Renewables is a long-term win for not only the companies involved, but also for consumers and the environment.”

The production process makes renewable diesel chemically identical to petroleum diesel with significant improvements in environmental performance due to its drop in carbon intensity and emissions. Renewable diesel also has a faster combustion speed, which brings more power to an engine and has been shown to lead to lower vehicle maintenance.

“At Cargill, we believe agriculture can be part of the solution to some of the world’s toughest challenges,” said John Niemann, Cargill’s North American lead for protein ingredients and international. “Through the partnership with Love’s, both companies can leverage their unique expertise and resources to address the growing demand for biofuels while making an impact in the communities where we operate.”

Heartwell Renewables will employ at least 50 full-time positions in Hastings. Construction is scheduled to begin in the following weeks, and operations should start in the spring of 2023 (Updated May 2022: Completion date has been changed to summer 2024). Once the plant opens, it will be one of only a handful of renewable diesel plants in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Department.

“The Heartwell Renewables facility presents an exciting combination of agriculture and renewable energy that will create new jobs and continue to grow our state’s economy,” said Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. “Nebraska is the ideal location for this venture, leveraging our expertise in production agriculture and renewable fuels. I look forward to watching Cargill and Love’s grow this endeavor in Hastings.”

Media Contacts

Caitlin Campbell, Media Relations Specialist
Phone: (405) 847-5263
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Daniel Sullivan, Media Relations Director
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About Cargill

Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 155 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About the Love’s Family of Companies

The Love’s Family of Companies is headquartered in Oklahoma City and employs more than 30,000 people across the United States. Love’s Travel Stops is the nation’s leading travel stop network with more than 550 locations in 41 states. Love’s also includes two Houston-based companies: Musket Corporation, which specializes in commodity supply, trading and logistics across North America, and Trillium, a leading provider of renewable fuels and alternative fueling solutions, which offers expertise in compressed natural gas, hydrogen, electric vehicle charging, renewable natural gas, solar installation and on-site electricity generation. Gemini Motor Transport is a nationwide motor carrier comprised of 850 trucks hauling fuel and refined fuel products included diesel exhaust fluid, propane, ethanol, jet, biodiesel and specialty products. Love’s has over 400 truck service centers, which include Speedco and Love’s Truck Care locations. To learn more, visit loves.com.