Ames Technology Center, recently opened to advance lower carbon fuel research.
Chevron Corp. has opened its new Ames Technology Center on the Ames, IA, campus of Chevron Renewable Energy Group.
The 45,000-square-foot facility will expand the company’s development of lower-carbon fuels technology and advance its technical support capabilities by adding new analytical laboratory and research and development space, as well as new offices.
“At Chevron, we have a belief that the future of energy is lower carbon,” Marty Haverly, director of R&A and Innovation for Chevron, tells Processing Journal. “As we continue to grow our lower-carbon businesses, we recognize that high-quality research and innovation are going to continue to be required for long-term growth of lower carbon intensity fuels.
“Chevron made the decision to build the Ames Technology Center to continue to advance research, development, and innovation for the biomass-based diesel industry,” says Haverly. “The team’s focus is on developing quality targets, technical capabilities, and technologies that support Chevron’s position as a leader in the renewable liquid fuels industry.”
Chevron uses a variety of feedstocks at its network of biorefineries. In 2024, Chevron used 15 different feedstocks to produce biomass-based diesel. Many of these feedstocks are byproducts of the agricultural industry, such as distillers corn oil, soybean oil, tallow, and others. The company does not disclose which feedstocks are used at each facility.
Production Plants
Chevron currently operates nine biomass-based diesel production plants in the United States and Europe. Biodiesel plants are in Grays Harbor, WA; Albert Lea, MN; Mason City, IA; Newton, IA; Seneca, IL; Danville, IL; Emden, Germany; and Oeding, Germany. The company produces renewable diesel at its biorefinery in Geismar, LA.
Chevron also is pursuing opportunities that generate a competitive return in biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable natural gas, and other biofuels, the company states.
“To rapidly scale and commercialize these products, Chevron is advancing new catalytic technologies, partnering to develop lower carbon feedstocks, and leveraging its world-class fuel production expertise at existing facilities,” Haverly notes. “Within the Ames Technology Center, we’re developing innovations that generate competitive returns in biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable natural gas, and other biofuels. For example, in collaboration with other technology centers within Chevron, the Ames Technology Center is evaluating new catalyst formulations, new renewable feedstocks, and alternative processing technologies.”
As an example of how the work at the state-of-the-art Ames Technology Center can drive innovation in future fuels development, Haverly cites the expansion project at Chevron’s renewable diesel production facility in Geismar, LA, where the plant is increasing its production capacity from 90 million gallons per year to 340 million gallons per year. “With investments like this one, and a commitment of $8 billion to grow its lower-carbon businesses by 2028, Chevron is building a portfolio of lower-carbon solutions that are available in the marketplace today,” Haverly adds.
Chevron invested more than $950 million in the Geismar improvement and expansion project. The project included upgrades to the existing site, as well as an expansion that is located adjacent to the existing site. Improvements included enhanced marine logistics that enable global trading of feedstocks and fuel, expanded rail capacity, and a wastewater treatment plant. The expansion was completed earlier this year, bringing the production capacity of the Geismar site to 340 million gallons a year.
Room for Growth
The new Ames Technology Center allows room for growth in the future, according to the company. While the project did not add additional employees to Chevron REG’s Ames campus, approximately 30 employees moved from the company’s previous lab space in Ames to the new Technology Center. “This space allows us to strengthen our capabilities with our existing team to better support our production facilities and the biomass-based diesel industry as a whole,” Haverly says. The company declined to reveal the cost of building the Ames Technology Center.
In addition to other capabilities at the center, the analytical laboratory helps to support the day-to-day operations of Chevron REG’s production facilities, as well as supporting customers and the biomass-based diesel industry, he says. Some of the work being done in the analytical laboratory includes quality testing feedstocks and finished fuels, performing tests for customers to address concerns, monitoring biodiesel and renewable diesel processes at production facilities, and development of new analytical techniques.
“As an example of the work we’ll be doing in this new facility, we’ll be researching new feedstocks to produce biomass-based diesel. This allows us to understand how new feedstocks will operate within our network of biorefineries and how the finished fuel will perform in different environments.”
In addition to its Chevron REG renewable fuels business, Chevron says it is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. Chevron produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and additives; and develops technologies to enhance its business and the industry. Chevron has stated that it intends to grow its oil and gas businesses, lower the carbon intensity of its operations, and grow lower carbon businesses in renewable fuels, carbon capture and offsets, hydrogen, and other emerging technologies.