Marathon Gas Stations’ Parent Company Turns Soybeans Into Diesel Fuel

Marathon Petroleum Corporation, the company behind the Marathon gas station chain, is diversifying its fuel portfolio by producing biodiesel from soybean oil. The initiative, launched in partnership with agribusiness giant ADM (formerly Archer Daniels Midland), culminated in the opening of the Green Bison Soybean Processing complex in Spiritwood, North Dakota. The facility processes 150,000 bushels of soybeans daily, yielding 600 million pounds of soybean oil annually—enough to produce 75 million gallons of renewable biodiesel each year.

The move addresses two key drawbacks of traditional diesel: higher costs and greater emissions. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center, soybean-based biodiesel delivers a positive energy balance, generating 4.56 units of energy for every unit of petroleum energy invested in production. In real-world use, vehicles running on pure soybean diesel cut petroleum consumption by 95% over their lifecycle and slash total emissions by approximately 74% compared to conventional diesel. Performance remains nearly identical, though soybean diesel is slightly less energy-dense, delivering about 93% of the energy per gallon of standard diesel.

Soybeans are the second-most-used feedstock for biofuel in the U.S., trailing only corn. However, the environmental and economic benefits come with trade-offs. Soybean biodiesel has the lowest cetane number among major biofuel sources, which can slightly reduce combustion efficiency and increase emissions in some cases. Critics also argue that diverting crops to fuel production could strain global food supplies, but the Clean Fuels Alliance of America counters that increased soybean cultivation for oil leaves more protein byproducts for animal feed, potentially lowering grocery costs.

For now, the Green Bison facility represents a significant step toward cleaner, domestically sourced diesel—one that aligns with Marathon’s broader push into renewable energy while keeping heavy-duty trucks running on familiar diesel engines.