Dedicated to the sustainability of our environment, business, and community
Zenith is committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees and community and minimizing the impact of our operations on the environment. We work every day to responsibly operate our terminals and protect the environment and the products we handle and store. Through rigorous trainings, extensive emergency response planning, and investments in our infrastructure, Zenith helping to ensure that our business is sustainable and well-prepared to serve our communities for years to come.
Protecting the Environment and Preparing for Our Energy Future
Zenith is providing solutions to support the emerging green industry through investments in state-of-the-art offloading and tankage for alternative fuel products like renewable diesel, biodiesel and ethanol. By adding and repurposing infrastructure to expand their role in the renewable fuels market, Zenith is working to meet the demands of a clean energy future.
In response to growing demand in the Pacific Northwest from refiners who are transitioning their operations to renewable diesel, which works in all climates and requires no engine modification, Zenith is implementing major changes to its Portland Terminal. We are providing a safe, economic rail solution for renewable fuels through our renewable diesel manifest rail service.
Zenith is planning to invest $35 million in a renewable fuels campaign in Portland that includes biodiesel and renewable diesel blending services, 500,000 barrels of tankage for renewable fuels and construction of a new offloading station to deliver renewable diesel to the Pacific Northwest. We have already deployed 25% of that capital in Portland and plan to finish this investment in the next two years.
Zenith’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond the solutions we can provide to our customers. We are working to expand energy efficiency across our terminals.
Keeping Our People Safe and Preparing for Emergencies
The sustainability of our business is contingent on our ability to keep our employees and our communities safe. Since beginning operations in 2014, Zenith has tripled the size of its safety and compliance team and has established a team of experts to address topics ranging from environmental management to site assessments and emergency response. We have onsite safety personnel at our four largest terminals, conduct rigorous on-site inspections at all our facilities, and routinely train and drill our operations teams to respond to any potential incidents that may occur. We have received the International Liquid Terminals Association safety award three years in a row and have won numerous awards for our strict standards for the safe handling and shipment of products. Our goal is zero incidents, period.
Zenith is constantly looking for new opportunities to optimize the safety and utility of our infrastructure. For example, Zenith recently invested $18 million in our Portland Terminal to construct a state-of-the-art fire suppression system and new elevated rail offloading racks to ensure the safety of our employees and protect the environment. We are continuing to look for new opportunities to improve our infrastructure and safety standards and to bring all operations in line with our commitment to safety and operational excellence.
The safety and environmental sustainability of our operations extends beyond our facilities. We see the communities where we operate as key partners and are investing their health and well-being. We work closely with local first responders to coordinate facility trainings and drills to maximize our ability to quickly and safely respond in case of emergency. In addition, we are currently implementing individualized fire plans for each of our diverse tanks to ensure both our employees and local first responders have all the information they need to address an emergency swiftly and effectively.