Portland Terminal

Zenith Energy operates a fuel storage facility in Northwest Portland. Recently, we blended and certified our first shipment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to Portland International Airport (PDX), marking a historic milestone for the City of Portland in achieving its climate goals. It’s the first time SAF has been used commercially at PDX and underscores Zenith’s commitment to phasing out 100% of our crude oil storage and transitioning to renewable fuels like SAF by October 2027.

This transition will bring a much-needed renewable supply to support Oregon’s Climate Protection Plan, Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program, and Portland’s Climate Emergency Workplan.

As of the end of 2024, 66% of our contracted storage capacity supports renewable fuels, making Zenith by far the largest renewable storage terminal in Oregon and likely all the Pacific Northwest. The terminal stores primarily renewable diesel, SAF component and biodiesel. Zenith is the only terminal in Oregon storing SAF component, currently the sole method to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector.

Zenith’s renewable fuel transition is spelled out in Portland’s Land Use Compatibility Statement, which was granted in October 2022 and determined that the terminal complies with the City’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The transition comes with some important commitments that will ensure its implementation.

* Storage Removal: Zenith has physically removed 8 railcar spots from unloading crude oil and will disassemble and remove 30 storage tanks, greatly reducing our number of storage tanks at the facility.

* Reduced Allowable Emissions: Zenith’s new Oregon DEQ air permit application will reduce allowable emissions at the property by 78%, in accordance with our fuel transition plan.

* City Inspections: Zenith granted immediate access to our property for City of Portland inspectors, who will validate the removal of facilities and the phase out of crude oil storage. In addition, Zenith has hired a third-party inspector, who is EPA certified and acceptable to the city, to continuously monitor our compliance with the fuel transition.

Zenith Energy has made substantial investments in our Portland Terminal, upgrading tanks, emission-cutting equipment, and fire systems, while also providing enhanced training for staff, contractors and first responders. In addition, the company has spent $36 million to support the location’s transition to renewable fuels and expects to spend an additional $16 million.

One of Zenith’s core values is safety. In order to ensure our terminal can withstand seismic activity, Zenith recently conducted two assessments performed by a local geotechnical engineering firm. The assessments were conducted on all tanks currently in or expected to return to service, buildings, containment berms, piping, and pipe support structures. The studies concluded the terminal poses a low risk of catastrophic damage to the facility or the environment from a major earthquake, including a 9.0 magnitude Cascadia subduction zone event.