Carson-Neste Partnership Helps Cities, Businesses Reduce Emissions

Oregon-based Carson expanded its partnership with Neste so it can provide renewable diesel fuel to its government and commercial customer base across the Pacific Northwest.

As part of its commitment to provide sustainable products to its customers, Carson said, it has long sought a reliable, permanent source of renewable diesel fuel to help its customers affordably comply with regulations designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon’s transportation sector. 

Carson announced Dec. 9 it has achieved this goal by extending its renewable diesel agreement with Neste – expanding it into a multi-year contract. Through this partnership, Carson will be able to continue to provide its extensive customer base with a reliable supply of Neste MY Renewable Diesel at a competitive price.

Neste was one of the first companies to introduce renewable diesel into Oregon after the state adopted its Clean Fuels Program. Neste MY Renewable Diesel delivers up to 80% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over its lifecycle when compared with fossil diesel. Additionally, the fuel is shown to deliver superior performance and reduce maintenance costs, according to the announcement.

“This new, long-term partnership with Carson is part of our commitment to bring more renewable diesel into Oregon,“ said Carrie Song, vice president for Renewable Road Transport for Neste in North America. “We are proud to play our part in helping keep the state’s vitally important large, heavy road vehicles – whether they are big rigs, emergency response vehicles, or construction equipment – moving with less greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.”

Jeff Rouse, Carson’s VP of Business Development, agreed: “Through our partnership with Neste we’ve hit upon not just a quality fuel that’s good for the environment, but a fuel that is good for our customers’ equipment and fleets as well.”

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is made from renewable and sustainably sourced waste materials such as used cooking oil and grease, not crude oil. The company collects this waste from thousands of hotels, restaurants, stadiums and other venues with industrial kitchens across North America.

Because Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a “drop-in” fuel, fully compatible with all diesel engines and the existing fuel distribution infrastructure, it requires no special equipment or modification to transition fleets away from fossil fuels. This makes it an accessible way for fleets to more quickly achieve climate or sustainability goals by immediately reducing emissions and phasing out the use of fossil fuels. 

While similar in chemical composition to fossil diesel, Neste MY Renewable Diesel contains no impurities, so it combusts more efficiently and engines run cleaner. As a result, vehicles that use Neste MY Renewable Diesel typically require less maintenance.

Beyond improved performance and lowered emissions, Neste MY Renewable Diesel performs better in extreme cold conditions (down to -4°F/-20°C) and can be stored over longer periods of time without deterioration in quality or water accumulation when compared to fossil diesel. For businesses with a lot of variety in usage during different seasons, this can bring substantial savings in fuel costs. 

“We have uncovered absolutely no performance hiccups by switching to renewable diesel — it’s almost too good to be true,” reported Gary Lentsch, Carson customer and fleet manager, Eugene Water & Electric Board.

A member of the Columbia-Willamette Clean Cities Coalition, Carson looks forward to continuing to contribute to advancing environmentally responsible, sustainable, and renewable fuel sources for its Oregon customers through its partnership with Neste MY Renewable Diesel.