Rodeo milestone marks high point in four-year journey

Phillips 66’s San Francisco Refinery, which for years manufactured products like gasoline and jet fuel, is now producing only renewable fuels.

Long known as the company’s Rodeo Refinery, and recently renamed the Phillips 66 Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex, the facility is producing 27,000 barrels a day of renewable diesel. The on-time startup capped a four-year project known as Rodeo Renewed that will make the refinery one of the world’s largest renewable fuels facilities.

“We are proud to announce this achievement at our Rodeo facility,” said Rich Harbison, Phillips 66 executive vice president of Refining. “The project advances Phillips 66’s long-held strategy to expand our renewable fuels production, lower our carbon footprint, and provide reliable, affordable energy while creating long-term value for our shareholders.”

The new Rodeo is on track to increase production rates to more than 800 million gallons per year (50,000 BPD) of renewable fuels by the end of the second quarter.

The facility can also produce renewable jet, a key component of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, with production expected to begin this quarter. Instead of fossil fuels, the plant produces fuels from mostly renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, fats, greases and vegetable oil.

Rodeo Renewed was first announced in August 2020, with the company targeting initial production in early 2024. Phillips 66 made a final investment decision to move forward with the project in 2022 after the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors approved the land-use permit and amid growing demand for renewable diesel.

“People want to lower the carbon intensity of their fuels and to maintain their quality of life,” said Jolie Rhinehart, Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex vice president. “The result is that demand for renewable energy will continue to rise.”

Helping to grow that demand are states like California, Oregon and Washington, in addition to British Columbia, which have implemented low-carbon fuel standard incentives to achieve their climate goals.

As a world-class supplier of renewable fuels, the company’s Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by approximately 65% by leveraging a premium geographic location, unique processing infrastructure and flexible logistics.