Zenith Energy purchases carbon offsets for West Coast operations

Zenith Energy, a global operator of independent liquid storage terminals, announced April 28 it will offset approximately 7,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year for its West Coast operations in Long Beach, California, and Portland, Oregon, through the purchase of carbon offsets for 2021 and 2022. Zenith’s carbon-offset investment will address all three types of its carbon emissions—direct emissions that occur from sources controlled by the company, indirect emissions from the electricity consumed by the company, and indirect emissions that occur in the company’s supply chain.

“Zenith Energy is committed to reducing carbon emissions, facilitating energy transition and addressing climate change,” said Jeff Armstrong, CEO of Zenith Energy. “We believe in doing the right thing for the environment, which is why we are making these voluntary investments. Our goal is for all our operations to be carbon neutral in 2022. We can do this immediately through our investment in carbon-offset credits while we continue to improve our existing infrastructure to reduce our onsite emissions and by storing more renewable fuels.”

Carbon offsets can be purchased on voluntary markets facilitated by third-party certification programs that establish guidance, standards and requirements for offset providers. Offset purchases financially support projects that reduce greenhouse gases, such as renewable energy or energy efficiency.

Last year, Zenith announced a major increase in the storage of low-carbon renewable diesel at its Portland facility, which is currently 20 percent renewable fuels and could be 100 percent renewable fuels in just five years with permit approvals. Renewable fuels emit 80 percent less carbon than traditional fossil fuels, providing a significant boost to Oregon’s goal of reducing emissions in the transportation sector.

By lowering its greenhouse gas emissions and energy intensity 66 percent in just two years, Zenith’s Portland Terminal earned recognition from the U.S. EPA with a 2022 Energy Star Challenge for Industry Award.