Pine Bend Refinery Plans $400M Upgrade

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (WCCO) -- The Pine Bend Refinery is planning a major upgrade with the promise of 500 construction jobs.

The Rosemount refinery wants to spend $400 million on the upgrade to increase production and reduce emissions.

Jake Reint of Flint Hills Resources says Pine Bend is nearly 60 years old but is still producing much of the gasoline sold here.

"The refinery produces about half of the state's transportation fuel," Reint said. "That's gasoline, diesel and a good percentage of the jet fuel used at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport."

The project is subject to regulatory approval.

Pine Bend is the nation's 14th largest refinery with nearly 1,000 employees.