New Texas Refinery Aims for Energy Independence
President Trump announced groundbreaking for a $300B refinery in Texas, the first new one in the US in 50 years.
The refinery, planned by America First Refining (AFR), will be located in Brownsville, Texas, at a deep-water port. The location is within a foreign trade zone and has access to rail and sea connections. The facility is designed to process 60 million barrels of U.S. light shale oil per year, sourced from the Permian Basin in West Texas. Unlike many existing refineries, it will not require imported crude oil. The refinery aims to produce cleaner gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Reliance Industries, an Indian energy company, is a partner in the project. The refinery is projected to improve the U.S. trade balance by $300 billion. The project is expected to create thousands of construction and permanent jobs, with wages exceeding market averages. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026. The Port of Brownsville has been developing this project for over 12 years.
