Chevron Restarting Iowa Biodiesel Facility Amid Improved Market Backdrop

By Robb M. Stewart

Chevron is restarting a biodiesel facility in Iowa it shuttered in 2024 as fuel prices around the world remain elevated.

The energy company said Thursday it will resume operation at its production facility in Ralston, supported by a commercial and operational agreement between it and farmer-owned Landus Cooperative, an Iowa agriculture services cooperative.

The decision to reopen the biodiesel facility follows what Chevron said are improved biodiesel market conditions, and with the neighboring Landus processing facility giving the plant an efficient feedstock supply chain.

Landus recently made updates to its Ralston processing facility, which is well positioned in the country's second-largest state for soybean farming. The Landus facility processes more than 28 million bushels of soybeans a year, making it the largest mechanical crush facility in the U.S.

Once fully operational, the Ralston facility will help increase the supply of biodiesel available to regional customers and support the broader diesel market, Chevron said. It also will provide opportunities for Iowa soybean farmers, with a restart expected to create employment and contracting opportunities in the region.

Ralston at full production has a production capacity of nearly 42 million gallons a year, enough to fuel more than 275,000 typical 18-wheelers. Chevron idled the facility in 2024 after a market downturn.

"As global oil markets remain tight, Chevron is taking practical steps across our entire system to help strengthen fuel supply," Andy Walz, president of Chevron's downstream, midstream and chemicals segment, said.

The company plans a staged restart that will include staffing, maintenance, safety and operational activities to ready the facility to resume production.

Chevron has been expanding its refinery throughput. It recently announced record crude oil throughput at its U.S. petroleum refineries, which operated at nearly 98% utilization in the third quarter, and it said it achieved monthly renewable diesel and biodiesel production records in 2026.

Write to Robb M. Stewart at robb.stewart@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 12, 2026 08:22 ET (13:22 GMT)