Over the next five years, Zenith Energy has agreed to transition its Portland, US facility out of crude oil storage and to renewable fuels.
In replacing crude oil with renewable fuels, Zenith’s facility will aid the City of Portland in reaching its Climate Emergency Workplan goals and the 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The Climate Emergency Workplan sets out the actions which Portland needs to take to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. This includes cutting Portland’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and then by 2050, reducing carbon emissions to net zero. Portland’s Comprehensive Plan guides how and where land is developed, including infrastructure projects which will prepare for and react to population and job increases.
After initially being denied a land use compatibility statement by the City of Portland, Zenith Energy changed its plan from 50% renewable fuel storage in five years, to 100%. Following the five-year transition, 96.5% of the fuel stored in the Portland facility is set to be renewable. The remaining 3.5% would be aviation gasoline, which is not yet able to be converted into renewable fuel.
In a move to ensure a more sustainable future, Zenith Energy wishes to change to renewable fuels as they have 80% fewer carbon emissions, 33% less fine particulates, 30% fewer hydrocarbons and 24% less carbon monoxide.
The recent move comes after an announcement earlier this year, that Zenith would annually offset carbon emissions at its Portland and Long Beach terminal, by purchasing carbon offsets.
