Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) welcomed government officials and community business leaders Oct. 2 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of its refinery direct solution. Gov. Tom Corbett and Mayor Michael Nutter helped commemorate the opening of the new rail facility in southwest Philadelphia and were joined by leaders from both PES and CSX, who partnered on the project.

The facility was previously home to a 140-year-old Sunoco refinery, and after a yearlong restoration, the plant is now one of the key facilities in making U.S. oil available to the densely populated East Coast. The refinery features a high-speed unloader to move oil from the rail cars and 5.6 miles of track.

With the final phase of the project now completed, PES is able to accept two unit trains per day, seven days a week. Each train can handle up to 120 cars. The PES facility is the largest oil refining complex on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and North Dakota’s largest crude oil customer.