Seaboard Energy opens renewable fuels terminal in California

The first rail delivery of renewable diesel from Seaboard Energy's plant in Kansas to its new terminal in Madera, California, occurred in late October. (Photo: Seaboard Energy)

Seaboard Energy has begun operations at its new renewable fuels distribution terminal in Madera, California, north of Fresno.

The company welcomed its first unit train of 110 railcars in late October and hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 1 with more than 100 customers and guests in attendance.

From left, Bryant Brown, Seaboard vice president of sales and marketing; Brian Fish, manager of Seaboard Madera Terminal; Gary Louis, Seaboard Energy president and CEO; Floyd Vergara, Clean Fuels director of state governmental affairs; Jim Patterson, California Assemblyman; Brett Frasier, Madera County commissioner; and Bill Patrick, Seaboard vice president of operations (Photo: Seaboard Energy)

Seaboard Energy is railing renewable diesel produced at its newly opened production facility in Hugoton, Kansas, along with biodiesel manufactured at its St. Joseph, Missouri, and Guymon, Oklahoma, plants and blending the two renewable fuels together at its new terminal for distribution in California.

“Low carbon fuels are achieving significant carbon reductions and air-quality improvements today in California,” said Floyd Vergara, director of state governmental affairs for Clean Fuels Alliance America. “The share of renewable diesel and biodiesel in California’s heavy-duty transportation fuel mix has increased to 44 percent in 2022—infrastructure projects like Seaboard’s are critical, especially in California’s Central Valley.”

The site, a former Pacific Ethanol plant, was purchased by Seaboard in May 2021.

In addition to more than 2 million gallons of legacy tankage, Seaboard Energy added two new 4.2-million-gallon tanks as well as a four-lane truck rack and a unit train offloading system. The location can now store a total of nearly 11 million gallons of fuel onsite.

The terminal has the capacity to receive 3-million-gallon unit trains carrying renewable diesel or biodiesel with a 12-day turnaround time from the company’s Kansas plant. Seaboard Energy has 10 employees working at the Madera, California, location.

The 138-acre site includes a 5-megawatt solar plant that supplies energy to the facility and the grid.

Seaboard Energy is a division of Seaboard Foods and a wholly owned subsidiary of Seaboard Corp.