Marathon Petroleum Trucks and Trains Transition to Using Renewable Diesel in La Basin

Marathon Petroleum’s Vinvale and East Hynes fleets in California’s Los Angeles Basin have made a significant step toward reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to a cleaner future by transitioning both fleets entirely to renewable diesel. In 2023, two Marathon Petroleum Transport and Rail (T&R) fleets and two locomotives at the Marathon Petroleum Los Angeles refinery, which are supported by T&R, switched from using traditional diesel fuel to renewable diesel.

How we did it

In 2021, Marathon Petroleum began transitioning its ARCO retail sites to renewable diesel. The terminals started replacing CARB diesel – a specific grade of diesel fuel required by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with renewable diesel. The Marathon Petroleum fleets refuel their trucks at our load racks and have access to renewable diesel because we are supplying it to our customers. Now, 35 trucks are operating on renewable diesel in the Los Angeles area. In 2023, the rail team began fueling the locomotives at a 50-50 mixture with regular diesel and renewable diesel before completely transitioning to 100% renewable diesel.

“At first, drivers asked lots of questions about renewable diesel and if it would have some of the negative effects on the operations of the trucks like biodiesel did in the past,” said Timothy Sweeney, Transport Maintenance Supervisor. “We assured them that this was different. Since we have switched, the drivers haven’t seen any decrease in power, performance or operations.”

Why it matters

Renewable diesel is an alternative to traditional diesel fuel. Renewable diesel is made from a variety of renewable feedstocks such as vegetable oil, animal fats and waste cooking oils. It is processed to be chemically the same as traditional diesel and can be used to operate any traditional diesel engine without modifications.