Southern Energy Renewables announced it will invest $1.4 billion to develop a green methanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility in St. Charles Parish that will convert wood-waste biomass into some of the lowest lifecycle-carbon fuels on the market.
The new production facility, located near hydrogen supply and key logistics infrastructure, is Southern’s first commercial-scale development in Louisiana as it prepares for a proposed merger with DevvStream, a carbon management and monetization firm. Pre-construction planning and site development activities on the project are underway. Construction is expected to begin in late 2027 with production anticipated in late 2029.
“Louisiana is a vital partner in advancing our production model that includes the conversion of regional wood-waste biomass sourcing, fuel production, and aviation and maritime offtake to create a first-of-its-kind platform with the potential to compete on a global stage and reduce the global reliance on China for clean fuels,” said Jay Patel, CEO of Southern Energy Renewables, in a press release.
Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 120 direct new jobs and an additional 394 indirect new jobs. Southern Energy Renewables is a U.S.-based developer of biomass-to-fuels projects.
