Heartwell Renewables, Llc

What Heartwell Renewables, Llc does

Heartwell Renewables, LLC is a US renewable diesel developer originally formed in 2021 as a 50/50 joint venture between Love's Family of Companies and Cargill; in October 2025, Love's assumed full ownership and Cargill transitioned to a feedstock-supply role. The company is building an 80 million gallon-per-year renewable diesel production facility in Hastings, Nebraska, scheduled for commissioning in the second half of 2026 (previously targeted for summer 2024). The plant uses a PTU (Pre-Treatment Unit) → H2 (hydrogen production) → RDU (Renewable Diesel Unit) process train, with tallow as the primary feedstock supplied by Cargill.

Heartwell plans to operate with approximately 45 full-time employees at the Hastings site. Its business model is to convert rendering-based lipid feedstocks into renewable diesel and monetize the output primarily through affiliated downstream channels: the Love's Travel Stops network of more than 650 locations across 42 states and Musket, Love's fuel-trading arm. The integrated structure is intended to secure offtake, simplify logistics, and align feedstock supply, production, and distribution within a single corporate ecosystem.

The company is pre-revenue and pre-operational; it has not disclosed third-party offtake contracts, pricing, or commercial volumes. Strategic differentiation rests on feedstock access (via Cargill), captive distribution (via Love's and Musket), and full ownership by a large, privately held fuel-marketing and travel-retail parent, rather than on technology differentiation or AI/data capabilities.

Name

Heartwell Renewables, Llc

Legal name

Heartwell Renewables, LLC

Website

https://heartwellrenewables.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heartwell Renewables, LLC is a Love's-owned renewable diesel developer building an 80 million gallon-per-year tallow-to-renewable-diesel facility in Hastings, Nebraska, with output slated for offtake through Love's Travel Stops and Musket.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Diesel Production

NAICS

Petroleum Refineries (324110), Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324)

SIC

Petroleum Refining (2911)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Diesel (HVO/HEFA) Production (EUAAAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biofuels & Renewable Fuels Switching (Biomethane/RNG, Bio-oils, Sustainable Biomass) (EUABAJAD)

Keywords

• Renewable diesel production
• Low-carbon fuel
• Alternative diesel feedstocks
• Renewable fuels manufacturing
• Drop-in diesel replacement

Headquarters

HQ city

Hastings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Renewable Diesel Sales: Heartwell Renewables produces up to 80 million gallons of renewable diesel annually, which is distributed and sold to customers through Love's retail network and other channels. The product is marketed by Musket, the commodity trading and logistics arm of Love's Family of Companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Heartwell Renewables operates a renewable diesel production facility in Hastings, Nebraska, designed to produce up to 80 million gallons of renewable diesel annually from low-carbon-intensity feedstocks such as tallow, used cooking oils, and vegetable oils. The renewable diesel is chemically identical to petroleum diesel and is distributed through the Love's Travel Stops retail network and marketed by Musket Corporation. The facility is under construction, with commissioning and production anticipated for the second half of 2026.

Product overview

Heartwell Renewables is a renewable diesel production company and the only entity of its kind to both produce and market renewable diesel all the way to the retail pump. The company operates a single production facility in Hastings, Nebraska that transforms low-carbon intensity feedstocks (primarily tallow provided by Cargill) into renewable diesel through a three-stage process: Pre-Treatment Unit (PTU), Hydrogen plant (H2), and Renewable Diesel Unit (RDU). The facility has an annual production capacity of 80 million gallons and is expected to be fully operational in the second half of 2026. Musket, the commodity trading and logistics arm of Love's Family of Companies, handles transportation and marketing of the finished product in the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Renewable Diesel (RD) Renewable diesel is a drop-in replacement for traditional petroleum diesel fuel, chemically identical to petroleum diesel but produced from renewable feedstocks including animal fats (tallow), used cooking oils, and vegetable oils. It offers at least 50% reduction in greenhouse gases compared to petroleum-based diesel, reduced toxic emissions and particulate matter, standard storage requirements, superior cold-temperature performance, and enhanced vehicle performance with faster combustion speed. Heartwell Renewables produces the product at its Hastings, Nebraska facility and distributes it through Musket Corporation and Love's Travel Stops retail network for commercial fleet operators and diesel consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• At least 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional petroleum-based diesel
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CargillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Cargill originally partnered as a 50/50 joint venture partner in Heartwell Renewables. Love's Family of Companies has since taken full ownership of the project. Cargill remains as the primary feedstock provider, supplying tallow (rendered animal fat co-product following protein processing) from its protein processing locations in Nebraska. Cargill is one of the largest beef processors in North America, providing low-carbon intensity feedstock.
• Musket CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusket is the commodity trading and logistics arm of the Love's Family of Companies. It handles transportation and marketing of the renewable diesel product throughout the United States. Musket specializes in commodity supply, trading and logistics across North America.
• BNSF RailwaysupportingOthersThe Heartwell facility includes 15-track rail connected to BNSF Railway with heated rail offloading capabilities for feedstock logistics.
• Union Pacific RailroadsupportingOthersThe Heartwell facility includes 15-track rail connected to Union Pacific Railroad with heated rail offloading capabilities for feedstock logistics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Diamond Green Diesel: Joint venture between Valero and Darling Ingredients; one of the largest US renewable diesel producers with multiple facilities. Most directly comparable to Heartwell due to JV structure, multi-feedstock processing, and refinery-style scale.
• World Energy: Long-standing US renewable diesel and biodiesel producer with operations in the US. Comparable product slate, feedstock mix, and California LCFS exposure to Heartwell's target market.
• Chevron Renewable Energy Group: Chevron's renewable diesel platform (formerly Renewable Energy Group/REG), with multiple production sites across the US using similar feedstocks (animal fats, UCO, soybean oil). Direct US-headquartered peer competing for the same fleet customer base.
• Neste: Global leader in renewable diesel (HVO/HEFA) production from waste and residue feedstocks including animal fats. Operates at far larger scale than Heartwell but uses the same core renewable diesel chemistry and targets the same drop-in diesel market.
• CVR Energy: Operates a renewable diesel plant at its Wynnewood, OK refinery producing renewable diesel from animal fats and vegetable oils. Comparable US-based renewable diesel producer using HVO/HEFA chemistry.
• Marathon Martinez Renewables: Marathon Petroleum's renewable diesel facility at its Martinez, CA refinery — a converted petroleum refinery producing renewable diesel from biomass-based feedstocks. Comparable in feedstock flexibility and product slate to Heartwell.
• Phillips 66 Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex: Phillips 66 converted its Rodeo, CA refinery to process renewable feedstocks into renewable diesel. Comparable refinery-conversion strategy, California-focused LCFS economics, and large-scale drop-in diesel output.

Emerging players

• UPM Biofuels: Finnish producer of renewable diesel from wood-based crude tall oil via HVO chemistry. Comparable HVO/HEFA production process but primarily serves European markets rather than directly competing in the US.
• Aemetis: California-based renewable fuels producer operating a renewable diesel plant in Keyes, CA and developing additional capacity. Smaller scale than Heartwell's planned 80 MM gal but directly comparable technology and feedstock slate.

Broad incumbents

• Valero Energy: Parent of Diamond Green Diesel JV and operator of multiple renewable diesel facilities alongside its conventional refining network. Larger, diversified incumbent competing across both renewable and conventional diesel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Heartwell-Renewables/100092253157778
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartwell-renewables

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heartwell Renewables, Llc