Love’s, Cargill and their affiliates have entered into a joint venture to produce and market renewable diesel.

The joint venture, called Heartwell Renewables, will construct a new production plant 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 Love’s, will transport and market the product in the United States.

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, Love’s officials said in a press release. 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, company officials said.

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. 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 joint venture will also be only entity of its kind to both produce and market renewable diesel all the way to the retail pump, Love’s officials said.

“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.”