Montana Renewables recently received a loan guarantee of up to $1.4 billion to fund expansion.
“Liquid fuels are very important,” said Montana Renewables CEO Bruce Fleming. “They have high energy density. The fact that ours is renewable, it's in demand - it's super exciting."
Montana Renewables is the largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the Western Hemisphere.
“It’s going to allow us to take a business that we set up over the last couple years and significantly expand it,” Fleming said.
The loan guarantee will help fund numerous other projects, including on-site water treatment and recycling capabilities, which is something the Pondera County Commissioners and the Golden Triangle Resource Council hope will be a top priority.
“The handling of this water has been going on for a century,” Fleming said. “There's nothing new here. There's nothing interesting here. There's nothing hazardous here.”
Fleming also expects the expansion to grow Great Falls’ population and economy as well and enjoys being part of the community.
“I go down to the pizza place that I like. We shop at Albertsons. We fuel our vehicles,” Fleming said, “You know, this is a virtuous cycle; that's good for everybody.”
Fleming expects the loan could end up leading to the creation of hundreds of new jobs - a win-win for the company and Montana as a whole.
