DG Fuels is proposing a nearly $4.96 billion low-emission, sustainable biofuel manufacturing facility in St. James Parish that will make transportation cleaner across the globe. If approved, DG Fuels’ St. James complex would create 650 direct jobs in St. James with a minimum salary of $48,000, plus benefits like health insurance. A total of 1,397 indirect jobs in St. James Parish and 6,474 jobs in Louisiana are also expected to be created when DG Fuels opens. Because this is a business built on environmental action, the air in St. James will be cleaner than it is today with DG Fuels operating.
Quality Careers. Cleaner Environment.
Quality Careers. Cleaner Environment.
Creating the Fuel of the Future in St. James Parish
Who We Are
DG Fuels creates sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from plant waste, primarily sugarcane bagasse, with no discharge into the Mississippi River and no fossil fuel air emissions. Our synthetic fuel is 100% compatible with current jet engines, meaning airlines can utilize this fuel without any mechanical changes. They simply top off and take off.
DG Fuels is growing and has long-term contracts with some of the largest airlines in the world, including our largest customer, Delta Airlines.
What We Do
Our commitment to a cleaner future will lead to a lower-carbon commercial airline industry, as DG Fuels works to become the low-cost SAF alternative to conventional fuel. That promise starts at home, with our focus on protecting the local communities where our teams live and work. Our clean energy complex minimizes air emissions, only discharges potable water and uses blue hydrogen.
DG Fuels is also an environmentally friendly buyer for local farmers, providing a financially attractive alternative to practices like burn harvesting sugar cane to reduce and potentially eliminate smoke and the “black snow” that is created when farmers burn crops for harvest.
DG Fuels in St. James Parish and Louisiana
DG Fuels in St. James Parish and Louisiana
A site on the West Bank of St. James Parish is currently being studied for potential development of a nearly $4.96 billion low-emission biofuel manufacturing facility. The facility will cleanly produce SAF to help commercial airlines across the world reach their carbon reduction goals. Because this is a business built on environmental action, the air in St. James will be cleaner with DG Fuels operating than it is today.
Once approved, construction is expected to take up to four years. The plant is expected to start production by 2028.
Construction activities are expected to support an average of 10,426 jobs and $2.5 billion of payroll in Louisiana for the 4-year construction period. In total, construction of the DG Fuels facility would add more than $3.8 billion in value and more than $7.8 billion in new economic output to the state economy.
Once fully operational, DG Fuels’ St. James complex would create 2,047 total jobs in St. James Parish, including 650 full-time, permanent jobs, with a minimum salary of $48,000, plus benefits like health insurance. In the first year of operation alone, those jobs are estimated to earn more than $160 million in earnings and the project will contribute a total of nearly $740 million in value added (25% of 2022 GDP for St. James Parish) and more than $2.5 billion in new economic output within the parish. DG Fuels’ operations would also generate a total of 6,474 jobs in Louisiana.
Over 30 years, operational impacts will contribute nearly $3 billion in earnings, $13.5 billion in value added, and close to $50 billion in output to the parish economy (after discounting to present value). Over that same 3-decade span, DG Fuels will contribute over $8 billion in earnings, $20 billion in value added, and $55 billion in output to the state economy.
DG Fuels is investing in on-the-job training, including 50 paid internships. Protecting the environment and promoting economic prosperity is our shared goal with St. James residents, government, the community and school district. At every step in the process, we are meeting with local leaders to make sure these goals continue to align.
Our clean facility will have fewer air emissions than a standard U.S. hospital, will have no impact on the Mississippi River and will help to heal our planet. Our fuel made from sugar cane and plant waste is clean and sustainable.
Even before DG Fuels breaks ground, company leaders engaged with community members and local government officials to draft a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement and explore ways to maximize environmental and economic prosperity in St. James Parish. The agreement, including $26,050,000 of investments into St. James community programs and philanthropic organizations, was approved by the Parish Council in February 2024. In April, DG Fuels made cash payments of $20,000 each to the Welcome Park Community Center, St. James Hospital, and the St. James Public Housing Authority, as required good faith funding laid out in the legally binding agreement.
Economic Benefits for St. James Parish
Economic Benefits for St. James Parish
DG Fuels expects to invest $4.96 billion to develop this sustainable, low emission fuel facility.
DG Fuels will purchase $120 million of sugarcane waste from local farmers with nearly 1/3 of this benefiting regional farmers.
Economic Impact of DG Fuels in Louisiana during construction
Indirect and induced economic activity will generate an additional $191.3 million in state tax collections during construction.
During the first year of operations, DG Fuels’ total economic impact is expected to generate $34.4 million in new state taxes.
Over 30 years of operations, the project is expected to generate $613.4 million in new state taxes (after discounting to present value).
Construction activities are expected to support an average of 10,426 jobs in Louisiana for the 4-year construction period.
Total statewide earnings associated with those jobs is $2.5 billion over the full 4-year construction period.
In total, construction of the DG Fuels facility will add more than $3.8 billion in value added and more than $7.8 billion in new economic output to state economy.
Operational Benefits
Once the facility is complete and operational, DG Fuels will create 650 direct jobs – with a commitment to hire qualified candidates directly from St. James Parish—and a total of 1,397 indirect jobs in St. James Parish.
In the first year of operation alone, these jobs are estimated to earn a total of $160 million in wages and lead to more than $2.5 billion in new economic output for the parish.
Over 30 years, operational impacts contribute nearly $3 billion in earnings, $13.5 billion in value added, and close to $50 billion in output to the parish economy.
Employment Opportunities
DG Fuels is gearing up for an exciting journey in St. James Parish— If you’re passionate about sustainable innovation and want to stay informed about future opportunities with us, we’d love to hear from you.
Please fill out the form below to get updates on upcoming employment opportunities.
Our Pledge to St. James Parish
DG Fuels is committed to being a good neighbor in St. James Parish and has drafted a legally binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with input from St. James Parish residents, local government and community leaders.
The CBA fills in some of St. James Parish’s funding gaps, as identified by the Parish Council and reinforced through community listening sessions. This legally binding agreement shows DG Fuels will keep its promise to be a great neighbor.
The CBA, which was approved by the St. James Parish Council in February, includes $26 million in community funding to be disbursed over time, with multi-million-dollar investments in a community center and a Mississippi River West Bank health clinic, as well as dedicated funding for paid internships, improved access to health care and nutrition and low-income housing repairs.
In April, DG Fuels made cash payments of $20,000 each to the Welcome Park Community Center, St. James Hospital, and the St. James Public Housing Authority, as required good faith funding laid out in the legally binding agreement.
| Community Investments | Description of Community Benefit |
|---|---|
| 1. Paid Internship-Apprenticeship Positions | DG Fuels is giving preference in hiring to St. James Parish residents. To ensure Parish residents have the necessary skills and qualifications, DG Fuels will partner with local training programs to provide job training including paid internship-apprenticeship positions with the company. Funds used for job training programming shall relate to skills, job training and readiness, and job transition training, so that St. James Parish residents, including youth, will be better able to secure employment and make meaningful professional contributions in the trades related to Project construction or operations, in technical and service fields that support the Project, and in the emerging field of low-carbon energy, as well as to promote local hiring. |
| 2. Community Center Completion Contribution | DG Fuels will work with the Parish to provide funding needed to support the construction, renovation, completion and equipping of the Welcome Park Community Center in St. James, Louisiana. |
| 3. St. James Parish Hospital West Bank Clinic | DG Fuels believes access to health care is essential and will partner with the St. James Parish Hospital to develop a West Bank Health Clinic in Moonshine, La., which will provide annual health screenings, tests and urgent care services. |
| 4. Medical Transportation | To ensure residents have access to health care including the West Bank Clinic, DG Fuels will provide funding to the Parish to be used towards providing medical transportation. |
| 5. Grocery Store Subsidy | DG Fuels has heard from local residents that easy access to a quality grocery store is a challenge. To address this need, DG Fuels will provide funding to the Parish to be used towards attracting or developing a grocery store in the 5th District of St. James Parish. If no grocery store is located in the 5th District of St. James Parish, the Company will donate to the Parish (or another Funding Recipient selected in consultation with the Parish) to address general food insecurity in the area in the Company’s reasonable judgement. |
| 6. Community Development Funding | The proposed DG Fuels facility will border the Moonshine and Baytree communities and DG Fuels feels a heightened commitment to this group of nearest neighbors. Because of this, DG Fuels is committed to providing financial compensation to residents in these neighborhoods as requested. |
| 7. Low Income Housing Repair Contribution | To ensure residents of St. James Parish and potential future employees of the site have access to quality housing in the area, DG Fuels will donate funds to the Parish to support repairs to low-income housing in the Parish. |
Voice Your Support
If you would like to welcome DG Fuels to St. James Parish, pledge your support and tell local and federal government officials why DG Fuels is the right neighbor, right now.
What is SAF?
Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF is a plant-based fuel that substitutes for petroleum-based jet fuel to reduce CO2 emissions created by the airline industry. Because SAF can be used in existing jet engines, it is the best way to quickly achieve net zero CO2 in the airline industry.
How is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Created?
DG Fuels gasifies biomass like sugarcane waste (bagasse) to create CO, also known as carbon monoxide. Then, this is combined with hydrogen created through water electrolysis. Water electrolysis creates clean energy by splitting water, or H2O, into separate molecules so that the hydrogen can be used as fuel.
After the CO and H2 are combined, it becomes “biogenic syngas” and is fed into a Fisher-Tropsch process, which ultimately converts the syngas into jet fuel. From here, the fuel is transported to a refinery, blended with conventional fuel and then delivered to airports to fuel planes.
What Emissions are Created by This Process?
With this process, DG Fuels will create fewer emissions than a standard U.S. hospital. The facility will have no fossil fuel emissions and no discharge into the Mississippi River.
Air quality in St. James Parish should improve with the development of this facility because it will offer farmers a profitable alternative to the burning of up to 202,000 tons of sugarcane trash after harvest.
In the table below, see how DG Fuels’ emissions per year measure up against an 815-bed hospital, sugar cane burning, and even LSU’s campus.
× Close
| Pollutant | DG-Fuels Estimated Project Emissions (a) | Sugarcane Burning Equivalent Emissions (b) | DG Fuels Total Effect on Local Emissions | 815-Bed Hospital Actual Emissions(c) | Municipal Airport Actual Emissions (c) | Food Production Facility Actual Emissions (c) | LSU Actual Emissions (c) | Actual Comparable Refinery Emissions(c) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO | 6.47 | 2,195.20 | -2,188.73 | 75.72 | 1,015.00 | 68.23 | 247.90 | 324.90 |
| CO2 | 73,608.00 | See (d) | -489,144.00 | 107,077.00 | 101,408.00 | 106,618.00 | 133,536.00 | 387,448.00 |
| NOX | 10.15 | – | -379.45 | 90.69 | 838.40 | 167.60 | 143.90 | 371.80 |
| SOX | 0.06 | – | -3.14 | 0.54 | 79.27 | 396.30 | 3.66 | 22.85 |
| PM10 | 3.77 | 184.80 | -181.03 | 6.83 | 53.29 | 47.40 | 29.15 | 97.46 |
| PM2.5 | 3.76 | 166.32 | -162.56 | 6.83 | 51.87 | 20.73 | 23.79 | 95.28 |
| VOC | 4.04 | 151.20 | -147.16 | 5.00 | 409.10 | 1.12 | 8.66 | 328.90 |
DG Fuels: Frequently Asked Questions
What type of project is DG Fuels proposing to build in St. James Parish?
- DG Fuels is investing $4.96 billion in St. James Parish to turn sugar cane, timber and other plant waste into sustainable jet fuel – or SAF – that the airline industry can use today to meet net-zero emission goals.
- DG Fuels’ process is clean, minimizes air emissions and releases zero discharges into the water system.
When will DG Fuels start construction and become fully operational?
- The DG Fuels clean energy complex is expected to take 4 years to build.
- Construction could begin as early as 2024, dependent upon several factors, including parish approval.
- DG Fuels could be operational as early as late 2028.
What type of jobs will DG Fuels bring to St. James Parish?
- DG Fuels expects to create 2,047 direct and indirect jobs, including 650 new direct jobs, in St. James Parish with this facility.
- Available job types include project construction and operations, technical and service support, and renewable energy jobs.
- The estimated average annual salary for direct jobs exceeds $72,000, with a minimum salary of $48,000.
- Additional benefits include health insurance, paid time off, on-the-job training, and paid apprenticeships, as well as funding for local workforce education and development programs.
- For job training or employment inquiries, express interest using the form above.
How will the project impact the local economy?
- DG Fuels is estimated to have a $48 billion impact on the St. James Parish economy over 30 years, based on an economic impact study completed in April 2024.
- DG Fuels is projected to purchase $120 million of sugar cane waste annually with nearly 1/3 coming from farmers in the region.
- Construction activities are expected to support an average of 1,461 jobs in St. James Parish earning $372.9 million in wages for the 4-year construction period. In total, construction of the DG Fuels facility will add more than $2.2 billion in value and more than $4.3 billion in new economic output to the St. James Parish economy. On an annual basis, $540.1 million in value added created by project construction represents more than 18% of the parish economy.
What is the community benefits agreement (CBA), and what investments does it include?
- Over the past year, DG Fuels talked to people who live, work, and govern in St. James Parish to find out how to be a great neighbor. Together, funding gaps were identified that DG Fuels committed $26 million to address.
- The CBA fills St. James funding gaps, as identified by the Parish Council and reinforced through community listening sessions.
- The $26,050,000 CBA includes $9.3 million in initial investments plus $16.75 million in community funding over specific periods, with multi-million-dollar investments in a community center and a West Bank health clinic, as well as dedicated funding for low-income housing repairs, paid internships, and improved access to healthcare and nutrition.
- The agreement was approved by the Parish Council in February 2024 and in April, DG Fuels made cash payments of $20,000 each to the Welcome Park Community Center, St. James Hospital, and the St. James Public Housing Authority, as required good faith funding laid out in the legally binding agreement.
Health/environmental impacts on the community:
- The DG Fuels facility will have fewer atmospheric emissions than a standard U.S. hospital, minimal emissions, and discharge only potable water into the Mississippi River.
- DG Fuels is a company built on environmental action. It will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)—a clean energy source that will help reduce CO2 emissions.
- The air in St. James will be cleaner once DG Fuels is up and running because its largest environmental impact is offering a profitable alternative to prevent the burning of up to 202,000 tons of sugarcane trash after harvest.