Kinder Morgan and Neste partner on major renewable fuels logistics project in the United States
Neste Corporation, News, 13 September 2021
Photo: Neste's storage facility in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Photo is for illustrative purposes only.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI), one of North America’s largest energy infrastructure companies, is partnering with Neste, one of the leading providers of renewable and circular solutions, to create a premier domestic raw material storage and logistics hub in the United States, supporting increased production of renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel and renewable feedstock for polymers and chemicals. Upon completion of the project, Kinder Morgan’s Harvey, Louisiana facility will serve as the primary hub where Neste will store a variety of raw materials including, for example, the used cooking oil it collects from more than 40,000 restaurants across the United States.
As part of the initial, committed phases of the project, Kinder Morgan will modify existing tanks and piping to enable segregated storage for a variety of raw material across 30 tanks. The scope of work also includes the installation of a new boiler for heating tanks and railcars and infrastructure improvements for rail, truck and marine movements. The project, which is supported by a long-term commercial commitment from Neste, is expected to commence operations in the first quarter of 2023. At Neste’s option, the facility can be further expanded.
“This clearly shows the positive role America’s existing energy infrastructure can play in creating a sustainable future and fighting climate change,” says Jeremy Baines, President of Neste U.S. “Neste and Kinder Morgan are transforming existing terminal assets into what can be considered green infrastructure, which will ultimately enable more American businesses and cities to power their fleets and supply chains with renewable fuels and other products.”
The commitment is one of Neste’s largest to date in the U.S., supporting a more resilient, flexible and sustainable supply chain that can keep pace with the company's growing production capacity and increasing global demand for lower-emission products. It enhances Neste’s leading position, building on the company’s more than 15-year head start in creating an end-to-end renewable product value chain.
In the long term, the project could also help improve the lifecycle climate benefits and competitiveness of Neste’s renewable products through more efficient and less carbon intensive supply chain operations. Renewable fuels offer an immediate way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation and heavy duty road transport in the US. Neste’s renewable feedstock for polymers and chemicals manufacturing can also significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the end products.
In fact, Neste’s renewable products prevented over 40 million tons of new GHG emissions from entering the atmosphere over the last five years - the same climate benefits as building 8,300 wind turbines or making 10.8 million cars zero emission according to the U.S. EPA’s GHG calculator.
Kinder Morgan is a trusted partner for Neste, with a strong history of collaboration between the two companies. In 2020, Neste began supplying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) directly to San Francisco International (SFO) airport via a Kinder Morgan pipeline. More than 1 million gallons of SAF have been supplied into SFO to date.
With this project, Kinder Morgan is further demonstrating its commitment to offer low-carbon infrastructure solutions to the country's fast growing renewable fuels industry.
“We are thrilled to partner with Neste, a global leader in renewable fuels, on this important logistics project. As North America’s largest terminal operator with existing infrastructure including 80 million barrels of storage, 266 docks, 462 truck bays and 6,800 rail car spots, Kinder Morgan Terminals is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the transition to renewable fuels,” said John Schlosser, president of Kinder Morgan Terminals.
Because renewable products work with existing energy infrastructure, the U.S.’s vast network of pipelines, storage tanks, and distribution sites can be used to rapidly scale their availability. This is a major advantage, enabling renewable products to replace fossil products faster and more affordably.
Neste in brief
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. We refine waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. We are the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. We aim at helping customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. As a technologically advanced refiner of high-quality oil products with a commitment to reach carbon-neutral production by 2035, we are also introducing renewable and recycled raw materials such as waste plastic as refinery raw materials. We have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2020, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 11.8 billion, with 94% of the company’s comparable operating profit coming from renewable products. Read more: neste.com
About Kinder Morgan
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) is one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America. Access to reliable, affordable energy is a critical component for improving lives around the world. We are committed to providing energy transportation and storage services in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner for the benefit of the people, communities and businesses we serve. We own an interest in or operate approximately 83,000 miles of pipelines, 144 terminals, and 700 billion cubic feet of working natural gas storage capacity. Our pipelines transport natural gas, refined petroleum products, crude oil, condensate, CO2 and other products, and our terminals store and handle various commodities including gasoline, diesel fuel, chemicals, ethanol, metals and petroleum coke. For more information, please visit www.kindermorgan.com.
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. Generally the words “expects,” “believes,” anticipates,” “plans,” “will,” “shall,” “estimates,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements in this news release include express or implied statements concerning KMI’s capital projects, including expected completion timing and benefits of the renewable fuels logistics project, and KMI’s role in the transition to renewable fuels and ability to use its existing assets for energy-transition opportunities. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management, based on information currently available to them. Although KMI believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance as to when or if any such forward-looking statements will materialize or their ultimate impact on KMI’s operations or financial condition. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements include the risks and uncertainties described in KMI’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2020 (under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and elsewhere) and its subsequent reports, which are available through the SEC’s EDGAR system at www.sec.gov and on KMI’s website at ir.kindermorgan.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and except to the extent required by law, KMI undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement because of new information, future events or other factors. Because of these risks and uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.