Zenith Energy Will Replace 100% of Its Crude Oil Storage with Renewable Fuels in Five Years

(Biofuels Central) Zenith Energy, a leading global operator of independent liquid storage terminals, announced it has agreed to immediately transition its Portland facility out of crude oil storage to renewable fuels in just five years. Renewable fuels can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80%, helping the City of Portland reach its Climate Emergency Workplan goals and the 2035 Comprehensive Plan.

After being denied a land use compatibility statement (LUCS) by the City of Portland for being incompatible with the 2035 Comprehensive Plan, Zenith Energy resubmitted with a more aggressive plan. Instead of ensuring its facility is 50% renewable fuel storage in five years, it committed to going 100% out of crude oil within that timeframe.

After that transition, 96.5% of the fuel stored by Zenith Energy in Portland would be renewable fuels – the remaining 3.5% would only be aviation gasoline, which cannot yet convert to renewables.

The renewable diesel already stored serves many local governments and transit agencies in Portland and surrounding areas, helping the state reduce its carbon footprint. In its Climate Emergency Plan, the City of Portland is suggesting a ban on fossil diesel. Zenith can help Portland achieve that goal with the expansion of its renewable diesel storage.

Zenith Energy wants to change that because renewable diesel has up to 80% less carbon emissions, 33% less fine particulates, 30% less hydrocarbons and 24% less carbon monoxide. That’s overall, 30 to 50% less pollution than fossil fuel diesel.

Zenith Energy is a world-class midstream company that owns and operates over 32 million barrels of renewable fuels, crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals and vegetable oil storage across North America, Europe and Latin America through its subsidiaries Zenith International and Zenith U.S.

The Company’s focus is on building a sustainable, independent liquid storage terminals business that provides safe and reliable solutions for its customers in the years to come. The entities share a common management team and headquarters in Houston, as well as core values, including Safety First and Environmental Protection. READ MORE

Excerpt from The Olympian/Associated Press: Portland city officials have approved Zenith Energy’s plan to phase out crude oil at its terminal and move to renewable fuels in the next five years. The Portland Bureau of Development Services OK’d the company’s land use compatibility statement on Monday and said Zenith’s plans for its terminal now meet the city’s climate action goals, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

This is the third time the company has applied for a land-use certification to expand its Portland terminal. The city’s approval is needed before the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will consider an air pollution permit the company needs to continue and expand its operations. Dan Serres, conservation director for the environmental group the Columbia Riverkeeper, said there’s still a short-term risk of an oil train derailment like the one in 2016 in Mosier, Oregon. “Zenith is still gambling with the health and safety of everyone who lives along the train route for another five years,” he said. READ MORE