DG Fuels, a developer of cellulosic drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), announced it is evaluating a 3,000-acre site in St. James Parish as the potential location of a new low-emission fuel manufacturing facility.
The proposed $3.1bn investment would create 1,055 new direct jobs with an estimated average annual salary exceeding $72,000. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project would result in 5,231 new indirect jobs, for a total of 6,286 new jobs in the Southeast Region.
“The addition of DG Fuels to Louisiana is further evidence of Louisiana’s emergence as a prime location for investors taking advantage of the unique business opportunities that the energy transition offers,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “We look forward to working with DG Fuels to make this proposed facility, and the high-paying manufacturing jobs it would generate, a reality.”
The Washington, D.C.-based company has developed a patented system for utilizing renewable energy sources, such as agricultural and timber waste feedstock, to reduce aviation fuel’s carbon intensity score by 140 percent when compared to industry standards. DG Fuels estimates the facility would produce 120 million gallons of SAF per year on average, which would remove approximately 1.5 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere annually.
“DG Fuels baseline process differs from other systems by having little or no environmental emissions either to the atmosphere or waters, while at the same time providing a customer for all forms of agricultural waste to the region’s agricultural community,” said Michael C. Darcy, chief executive officer of DG Fuels.
The proposed site on the west bank of St. James Parish is currently undergoing a front-end engineering design (FEED) study that is estimated to be complete by August 2023. A final investment decision is expected by the end of the year; if DG Fuels moves forward with the project, construction and commissioning of the SAF plant would take approximately three years from that point.
“I’m excited to learn about the possibility of DG Fuels coming to St James Parish,” St. James Parish President Pete Dufresne said. “At our last Council Meeting, Mr. Michael Darcy spoke about the potential for a green facility that provides over 600 employment opportunities for all skill levels and produces little to no emissions. I’m looking forward to exploring what appears to be a great opportunity for our parish.”
