BP has announced plans for a $269 million investment in three projects at its Cherry Point Refinery in Washington state, aimed at improving the refinery’s efficiency, reducing its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and increasing its renewable diesel production capability.

These projects are expected to create more than 300 local jobs over the next three years. This includes more than 200 construction jobs, 25 engineering jobs and approximately 40 support roles. BP currently supports more than 36,600 jobs in Washington.

The investment is aligned with BP’s aims to be net zero across its operations by 2050 or sooner and to reduce the carbon intensity of the products it sells by 50% by 2050 or sooner.

David Lawler, chairman and president, BP America, said, “BP’s new investment in Cherry Point builds on a half century of innovation in Washington state. It will position us to provide lower carbon energy while creating jobs and reducing emissions in our operations.”

In addition to extensive work on its hydrocracker unit (a $169 million project) and a major cooling water infrastructure upgrade ($55 million), BP is making a $45 million investment in the expansion of the refinery’s renewable diesel production capacity. The Renewable Diesel Optimization (RDO) project will more than double the refinery’s renewable diesel production capability to an estimated 2.6 million barrels a year.

Renewable diesel is manufactured from biomass-based feedstocks, such as vegetable oils and rendered animal fats. The increased production capability from the RDO project is expected to reduce the CO2 emissions resulting from the diesel produced by Cherry Point by approximately 400,000 - 600,000 tons per year.

In 2018, Cherry Point became the first and only refinery in the Pacific Northwest capable of processing these feedstocks alongside conventional feedstocks like crude oils. This fuel produced through co-processing is chemically identical to petroleum diesel and can be distributed using the same systems.

Amber Russell, senior vice president, refining, terminals and pipelines, said: “Our team’s success since we first began producing renewable diesel made these projects possible. We’re excited that Cherry Point continues taking steps toward a lower carbon future. This work shows the important role refining can play in helping both bp and the world reach net zero.”

The additional renewable diesel production is expected to be available in 2022.