WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The BP Cherry Point Refinery will play a key part in the country’s effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes.
U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell announced on Aug. 16 that Cherry Point was granted over $26 million to produce sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
The funds will be used to build infrastructure and purchase equipment to produce the SAFs using renewable biomass feedstocks. The fuel will then be supplied to Sea-Tac Airport and other airports in the region via the Olympic Pipeline, which runs from Ferndale to Portland.
The project is estimated to produce 10-25 million gallons of SAFs per year, helping the effort to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 2050.
Sen. Cantwell’s office says the project will create 96 new jobs.
Out of the 36 total grants distributed across the county, Cherry Point’s grant is the second highest in the country.
