On Earth Day, April 22nd, 2025, BWC Terminals and officials from the Port of Stockton celebrated the inauguration of their newly expanded renewable fuels terminal. This facility, hailed as the first in California in three decades, was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the port, reports Recordnet.
State Of The Art Features
The newly inaugurated state-of-the-art terminal features the first Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards (MOTEMS)-compliant dock constructed in California in almost three decades. According to officials from BWC Terminals, this facility is poised to play a crucial role in advancing the renewable fuels supply chain throughout the state.
Adam Smith, president and CEO of BWC Terminals, highlighted the significance of this development, stating, “This is a culmination of five years of growth here in Stockton for BWC Terminals. We took a very small terminal and built it over time with the help of the building trades and our partnership with the Port of Stockton and the local community to grow this facility into a leading green energy, energy-transition hub over the last several years.” This underscores the terminal’s evolution into a key infrastructure asset supporting the transition towards cleaner energy sources.
Safety and Efficiency
The terminal is specifically designed to safely and efficiently transfer renewable diesel and biodiesel from marine vessels. BWC Terminals officials emphasized that this capability directly supports California’s ongoing efforts to decarbonize sectors that are challenging to electrify, such as heavy-duty transportation.
The facility is equipped with modern safety and environmental protection systems, including advanced spill containment measures, comprehensive fire protection systems, robust seismic resilience features, and upgraded infrastructure for vessel mooring.
BWC Terminals also highlighted the significant expansion of its Stockton terminal, noting that it has grown by over 500% in the past five years. This rapid expansion has been undertaken to meet the increasing demand within California for renewable fuel storage and the associated logistics.
Positive Impact
U.S. Rep. Josh Harder (D-Tracy) attended the terminal’s opening ceremony and presented BWC Terminals with a certificate from Congress, acknowledging the company’s investment in Stockton.
Harder emphasized the positive impact of the new terminal, stating, “This is bringing in renewable fuel and helping us push Stockton to a better air quality, cleaner energy city. That’s going to enable our economic development and ultimately bring more infrastructure and transportation jobs right here, even disconnected from the direct jobs from the port.” He highlighted Stockton’s reputation as the “asthma capital of the country,” attributing this to both the region’s geology and the port’s potential role in improving air quality and promoting a cleaner future.
The congressman also outlined his vision for a 100% clean energy port in Stockton, saying, “I’m working on critical investments to help make Stockton the first 100% clean energy port anywhere in the United States. This terminal is a sign of what that actually is going to look like, but we need to be doing a lot more behind that. We need to make sure that every single vehicle here, and every single ship that comes in and out, is 100% clean. If we do that, it’s going to be good for the port, it’s going to be good for our jobs and our economy, but most of all, it’s going to be good for the health and the lungs of our kids.”
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Source: Recordnet
