The company's own description of what it does — segments, products, customers, and how it makes money — from its annual 10-K filing (Item 1).
The text below is reproduced verbatim from VLO’s SEC filing. See also VLO’s supply chain and financial statements.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
OUR BUSINESS We are a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio, Texas. Our corporate offices are at One Valero Way, San Antonio, Texas, 78249, and our telephone number is (210) 345-2000. We were incorporated in Delaware in 1981 under the name Valero Refining and Marketing Company. We changed our name to Valero Energy Corporation in 1997. Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the trading symbol “VLO.” We are a multinational manufacturer and marketer of petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products, and we sell our products primarily in the United States (U.S.), Canada, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Ireland, and Latin America. We own 15 petroleum refineries located in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day (BPD). We are a joint venture member in DGD 1 , which produces low-carbon fuels at two plants located in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. with a combined production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion gallons per year. We also own 12 ethanol plants located in the Mid-Continent region of the U.S. with a combined production capacity of approximately 1.7 billion gallons per year. We manage our operations through our Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol segments. See “OUR OPERATIONS” below for additional information about the operations, products, and properties of each of our reportable segments. OUR COMPREHENSIVE LIQUID FUELS STRATEGY Overview We strive to manage our business to responsibly meet the world’s growing demand for reliable and affordable energy. We believe that liquid transportation fuels—both petroleum-based and low-carbon—help meet that demand, and we expect that they will continue to be an essential source of transportation fuels well into the future. Our strategic actions have enabled us to be a low-cost, efficient, and reliable supplier of these liquid transportation fuels to much of the world. 1 DGD is a joint venture with Darling Ingredients Inc. (Darling) and we consolidate DGD’s financial statements. See Note 12 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements regarding our accounting for DGD. 1 Table of Contents Most of our petroleum refineries are located in areas that offer favorable operating costs and other strategic advantages, as described below under “OUR OPERATIONS— Refining ,” and we believe our refineries are positioned to meet the strong global demand for petroleum-based products. Through our refining business, we believe that we have developed expertise in liquid fuels manufacturing and a platform for the marketing and distribution of liquid fuels, and we seek to leverage this expertise and platform to optimize our low-carbon fuels businesses. We expect that low-carbon liquid fuels will continue to be a part of the energy mix, and we have made multibillion-dollar investments to develop and grow our low-carbon fuels businesses, as described below under “OUR OPERATIONS— Renewable Diesel ” and “ —Ethanol .” These businesses have made us the leading producer of low-carbon transportation fuels and have helped governments across the world in achieving their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. Regulations, Policies, and Standards Driving Low-Carbon Fuel Demand Governments across the world have implemented, or are considering implementing, regulations to address GHG emissions from transportation fuels by mandating or incentivizing inclusion of renewable and low-carbon fuels in the transportation fuel mix. The regulations, policies, and standards of greatest significance for our businesses are defined and discussed below under “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program,” “California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS),” “Canada Low-Carbon Fuel Programs,” and “U.K. Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) Program” (along with similar programs in other jurisdictions in which we operate, collectively, the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs). Additionally, other municipal, state, and national governments across the world, including many of the jurisdictions in which we operate, have issued or are considering similar low-carbon fuel regulations, policies, and standards. While many of the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs result in additional costs to our refining business, they have created opportunities for us to develop our low-carbon fuel businesses, and they should continue to help drive the demand for our low-carbon fuels such as renewable diesel, ethanol, and neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) 2 . See “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS—LEGAL, GOVERNMENT, AND REGULATORY RISKS— We are subject to risks arising from the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs, and other regulations, policies, international certifications, and standards impacting low-carbon fuels ” for more information. In addition, see Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements regarding our accounting for the costs of the blending programs under “ Costs of Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs” and Note 20 for disclosure of the costs of the blending programs under “Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs Price Risk.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program The EPA created the RFS program pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Under the RFS program, the EPA sets annual quotas for certain classes of renewable fuels that must be blended into petroleum-based transportation fuels consumed in the U.S., collectively referred to as the renewable volume obligation (RVO). Producers and importers of petroleum-based transportation fuels consumed in the U.S. must demonstrate compliance annually by retiring the appropriate number of compliance credits known as renewable identification numbers (RINs) 2 DGD produces synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK), a renewable blending component, using the Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) process. SPK is also commonly referred to as “neat SAF.” Current aviation regulations allow SPK to be blended up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel for use in an aircraft. This blend is commonly referred to as “blended SAF” or “SAF.” 2 Table of Contents associated with each class of renewable fuel to satisfy their RVO. RINs are generated through the production of qualifying renewable fuels. Obligated parties may obtain RINs by blending those renewable fuels into petroleum-based transportation fuels or by purchasing RINs in the open market. We are an obligated party under this program and our Refining segment incurs obligations as a result of being a producer and importer of petroleum-based transportation fuels consumed in the U.S., but we also generate RINs under this program as a result of being a producer of qualifying renewable fuels through our Renewable Diesel and Ethanol segments. Therefore, there is a cost to our refining business from this program because in order to comply with our RVO we must either purchase qualifying renewable fuels for blending or purchase RINs in the open market, but we also generate revenue through our Renewable Diesel and Ethanol segments from this program because we produce and sell qualifying renewable fuels. California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted the LCFS program to help achieve GHG emissions reductions required by California’s Global Warming Solutions Act by decreasing the carbon intensity (CI) of transportation fuels consumed in the state. Under this program, each fuel is assigned a CI value, which is intended to represent the lifecycle GHG emissions associated with the feedstocks from which the fuel was produced, the fuel production and distribution activities, and the use of the finished fuel. The certified CIs for both low-carbon and petroleum-based transportation fuels are compared to a declining annual benchmark. Fuels below the benchmark generate credits, while fuels above the benchmark generate deficits. The lower the fuel’s CI score compared to the benchmark, the greater number of credits generated. Each producer or importer of fuel must demonstrate that the overall mix of fuels it supplies for use in California meets the CI benchmarks for each compliance period. A producer or importer with a fuel mix that is above the CI benchmark must purchase LCFS credits sufficient to meet the CI benchmark. Our Refining segment produces and imports petroleum-based transportation fuels in California and thus must blend low-CI fuels or purchase credits to meet the CI benchmark. However, fuels produced by our Renewable Diesel and Ethanol segments have CI scores that are lower than traditional petroleum-based transportation fuels, and we benefit from the demand from other regulated entities for these low-carbon products. Canada Low-Carbon Fuel Programs In July 2022, Canada’s federal environmental agency issued the Clean Fuel Regulations (CFR) program to require primary suppliers of gasoline or diesel that is produced in or imported into Canada to reduce the CI of those products. The obligation to achieve prescribed CI reduction requirements began on July 1, 2023. The CFR program is in addition to Canada’s provincial programs (such as in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec), which require the utilization of low-carbon fuels, and is similar to the California LCFS program. As a primary supplier of gasoline and diesel in Canada, our Refining segment is subject to Canada’s low-carbon fuel programs described above and thus must blend low-CI fuels or purchase credits to meet the annual CI reduction requirements of the applicable program. As noted above under “California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS),” fuels produced by our Renewable Diesel and Ethanol segments have lower CI scores than traditional petroleum-based transportation fuels, and we benefit from the increased demand for these low-carbon products as a result of Canada’s low-carbon fuel programs. U.K. Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) Program The U.K. RTFO program was established to reduce GHG emissions from transportation fuels by promoting the use of low-carbon fuels. Under the RTFO program, suppliers of relevant transportation 3 Table of Contents fuels that are produced or imported into the U.K. are obligated to blend a minimum specified percentage of qualifying low-carbon fuels into petroleum-based transportation fuels annually. Obligated suppliers can satisfy their obligation by redeeming Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs), either generated by the supplier (through blending low-carbon fuels) or purchased from low-carbon fuel suppliers, or by paying a predetermined amount for each RTFC they choose to buy-out of their obligation. As a supplier of gasoline and diesel in the U.K., our Refining segment is subject to the U.K.’s RTFO program described above and thus must blend qualifying low-carbon fuels or purchase RTFCs to satisfy our annual obligation. As previously noted, fuels produced by our Renewable Diesel segment have lower CI scores than traditional petroleum-based transportation fuels, and we benefit from the increased demand for these low-carbon products as a result of the U.K.’s RTFO program. U.S. Federal Tax Incentives The U.S. federal government has recently made significant changes to tax incentives enacted to encourage the production of low-carbon fuels and/or reduce GHG emissions. Until recently, renewable diesel that was produced, blended, and sold by us qualified for a refundable tax credit (generally referred to as the blender’s tax credit) of $1.00 per gallon under Section 6426 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). In addition, cellulosic ethanol produced and sold by our Ethanol segment qualified for an income tax credit of $1.01 per gallon for second-generation biofuels under Section 40(b) of the Code. The tax credits provided under Sections 6426 and 40(b) expired on December 31, 2024. Effective January 1, 2025, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 replaced Section 6426 and Section 40(b) with Section 45Z of the Code, which instead allowed for a clean fuel production credit for years 2025 through 2027. On July 4, 2025, legislation commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) was enacted, which resulted in a broad range of changes to the Code, including the extension of the clean fuel production credit through December 31, 2029. Clean fuel production credits may be claimed for the qualifying sale of certain low-carbon transportation fuels (such as biodiesel, renewable diesel, and alternative fuels, including neat SAF) that were produced in the U.S. through December 31, 2025. Under the OBBB, fuel produced on or after January 1, 2026 must be exclusively derived from feedstocks produced or grown in the U.S., Mexico, or Canada in order to be eligible for this credit. The amount of the credit allowable varies based on the emissions rate for the specific fuel pathway and production process and on whether the facility at which the fuel is produced meets prevailing wage and/or apprenticeship requirements for certain activities. Also, for fuel produced on or after January 1, 2026, this credit generally is limited to $1.00 per gallon for all eligible fuels under the OBBB. Finally, the OBBB provides for GHG emissions attributed to indirect land use change to be excluded in determining the GHG emissions rate for transportation fuel produced after December 31, 2025. We expect this will allow much of our corn ethanol to meet the emissions reduction threshold to qualify for the clean fuel production credit. Also, Section 45Q of the Code provides tax credits for carbon oxide sequestration to certain taxpayers who capture and sequester, store, or use qualified carbon oxides (e.g., carbon dioxide). See Notes 1, 15, and 17 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about these U.S. federal tax incentives. 4 Table of Contents Our Low-Carbon Projects As of December 31, 2025, we have invested $6.0 billion 3 in our low-carbon fuels businesses. Our large-scale SAF production project at the DGD Port Arthur Plant (as defined below under “OUR OPERATIONS— Renewable Diesel ”) was successfully completed in the fourth quarter of 2024. The project provides the DGD Port Arthur Plant the optionality to upgrade approximately 50 percent of its current 470 million gallon renewable diesel annual production capacity to neat SAF. Qualifying sales of this low-carbon jet fuel have generated, and should continue to generate, clean fuel production credits. We continually evaluate federal tax and other incentives and may strategically pursue certain opportunities to optimize the potential benefits therefrom. We also continue to consider investments in economic, low-carbon projects, including carbon sequestration and carbon capture and storage, which are intended to lower the CI of our products. For example, the carbon sequestration and carbon capture and storage projects under evaluation at certain of our ethanol plants would be expected to increase the value of the ethanol product produced at those plants by helping to decrease its CI score and through the expected generation of tax credits for carbon oxide sequestration, when applicable. Several of our ethanol plants are located near geology believed to be suitable for sequestering carbon dioxide, and in 2025 we entered into a stand-alone agreement with respect to our ethanol plant in Linden, Indiana to capture, transport, and store carbon dioxide that results from the ethanol manufacturing process. We continue to evaluate additional carbon sequestration and carbon capture and storage projects. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS We have well-developed management structures that are central to our decision making and risk management, including three programs that support our environmental management as follows: • Our Commitment to Excellence Management System (CTEMS) is a proprietary systematic approach to planning, executing, checking, and acting to improve everyday work activities at many of our refineries and plants. CTEMS is structured around nine core elements: leadership accountability, protecting people and the environment, people and skills development, operations reliability and mechanical integrity, technical excellence and knowledge management, change management, business competitiveness, external stakeholder relationships, and assurance and review. Within each element, we have identified multiple expectations to achieve our commitment to excellence. • Environmental Excellence and Risk Assessment (EERA) elevates the environmental audit and compliance functions to an environmental excellence vision. Its main goal is to assess the design and effectiveness of environmental performance regarding specific excellence objectives, and to facilitate continuous improvement across our operations. EERA defines more than 100 expectations and involves a proprietary five-step process using due diligence on data and field assessments reviewed by a combination of external and internal subject matter experts. 3 Our investment in our low-carbon fuels businesses consists of $4.1 billion in capital investments to build our renewable diesel business (including neat SAF), and $1.9 billion to build our ethanol business. Capital investments in renewable diesel represent 100 percent of the capital investments made by DGD. See also “ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS—LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES— Our Capital Resources —Capital Investments,” which is incorporated by reference into this item for our definition of capital investments. 5 Table of Contents • Our Fuels Management System (FMS) provides operational safeguards, software, training, and protocols for uniformity across our refineries and plants to reinforce our compliance with applicable fuels regulations. Built on the success of FMS, our Low Carbon Assurance Program (LCAP) was implemented to further delineate and strengthen our internal processes to assure compliance with applicable low-carbon fuels regulations, policies, and standards. LCAP defines key regulatory requirements, management expectations, and internal regulatory assurances relating to transportation fuels regulated by low-carbon fuels regulations, policies, and standards. OUR OPERATIONS Our operations are managed through the following reportable segments: • our Refining segment, which includes the operations of our petroleum refineries, the associated activities to market our refined petroleum products, and the logistics assets that support those operations; • our Renewable Diesel segment, which includes the operations of DGD and the associated activities to market low-carbon fuels; and • our Ethanol segment, which includes the operations of our ethanol plants and the associated activities to market our ethanol and co-products. Financial information about these segments is presented in Note 17 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, which is incorporated by reference into this item. See “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS—BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, AND OPERATIONS RISKS— Our financial results are affected by volatile margins, which are dependent upon factors beyond our control, including the prices we pay to acquire feedstocks and the market prices at which we can sell our products ,”—“ Industry, market, and other developments could decrease the demand for our products ,”—“ The availability and prices of our feedstocks and other critical supplies expose us to risks ,”—“ Our investments in joint ventures and other entities limit our ability to manage risk ,” and —“LEGAL, GOVERNMENT, AND REGULATORY RISKS— We are subject to risks arising from the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs, and other regulations, policies, international certifications, and standards impacting low-carbon fuels ,” which are incorporated by reference into this item. 6 Table of Contents Refining Refineries Overview Our 15 petroleum refineries are located in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., and they have a combined feedstock throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million BPD. The following table presents the locations of these refineries and their feedstock throughput capacities as of December 31, 2025. Refinery Location Throughput Capacity (a) (BPD) U.S.: Benicia (b) California 170,000 Wilmington California 135,000 Meraux Louisiana 135,000 St. Charles Louisiana 340,000 Ardmore Oklahoma 90,000 Memphis Tennessee 195,000 Corpus Christi (c) Texas 370,000 Houston Texas 255,000 McKee Texas 200,000 Port Arthur Texas 435,000 Texas City Texas 260,000 Three Rivers Texas 100,000 Canada: Quebec City Quebec 235,000 U.K.: Pembroke Wales 270,000 Total 3,190,000
(a) Throughput capacity represents estimated capacity for processing crude oil, intermediates, and other feedstocks. Total estimated crude oil capacity is approximately 2.7 million BPD. (b) In March 2025, we approved a plan with respect to the operations at our Benicia Refinery and currently intend to idle the processing units and cease refining operations by the end of April 2026. See Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to this matter. (c) Represents the combined capacities of two refineries – the Corpus Christi East and Corpus Christi West Refineries. • California ◦ Benicia Refinery . Our Benicia Refinery is located northeast of San Francisco on the Carquinez Strait of San Francisco Bay. It processes sour crude oils into California Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (CARBOB) and Conventional Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (CBOB) gasolines, CARB diesel, diesel, jet fuel, and asphalt. Gasoline production is primarily CARBOB, which meets CARB specifications when blended with ethanol. The refinery receives feedstocks via a marine dock and pipelines and distributes most of its products via pipeline and truck. 7 Table of Contents ◦ Wilmington Refinery . Our Wilmington Refinery is located near Los Angeles. It processes a blend of heavy and high-sulfur crude oils and produces CARBOB and CBOB gasolines, CARB diesel, diesel, jet fuel, and asphalt. The refinery receives feedstocks via pipelines connected to marine terminals and docks and distributes its products via pipeline to various terminals. • Louisiana ◦ Meraux Refinery . Our Meraux Refinery is located approximately 15 miles southeast of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. It processes sour and sweet crude oils and produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and high-sulfur fuel oil. The refinery receives feedstocks at its dock and has access to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port and distributes its products via its dock and the Colonial Pipeline. The refinery is located about 40 miles from our St. Charles Refinery, allowing for integration of feedstocks and refined petroleum product blending. ◦ St. Charles Refinery . Our St. Charles Refinery is located approximately 25 miles west of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. It processes sour crude oils and other feedstocks and produces gasoline and diesel. The refinery receives feedstocks via its docks and has access to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port and distributes its products via its docks and our Parkway Pipeline and the Bengal Pipeline, both of which access the Plantation Pipeline and Colonial Pipeline. We are progressing with a Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit optimization project at the refinery that will enhance its ability to produce high-value products. This project is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2026. • Oklahoma ◦ Ardmore Refinery . Our Ardmore Refinery is located approximately 100 miles south of Oklahoma City. It processes primarily sweet crude oils and produces gasoline and diesel. The refinery receives feedstocks via pipelines and distributes its products via rail, truck, and the Magellan Pipeline system. • Tennessee ◦ Memphis Refinery . Our Memphis Refinery is located on the Mississippi River. It processes primarily sweet crude oils and produces gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The refinery receives feedstocks via the Diamond Pipeline, the Dakota Access Pipeline, barge, and rail and distributes its products via truck, barge, the Shorthorn Pipeline, and rail. • Texas ◦ Corpus Christi East and West Refineries . Our Corpus Christi East and West Refineries are located on the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The East Refinery processes sour crude oil and the West Refinery processes sweet crude oil, sour crude oil, and residual fuel oil, and both refineries produce gasoline, aromatics, jet fuel, diesel, and asphalt. The refineries receive feedstocks via docks on the Corpus Christi Ship Channel and pipelines. The refineries’ physical locations allow for the transfer of various feedstocks and blending components between them. The refineries distribute their products via truck, ship, barge, and pipeline. ◦ Houston Refinery . Our Houston Refinery is located on the Houston Ship Channel. It processes sweet crude and intermediate oils and produces gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel. The refinery receives feedstocks via pipeline, ship, and barge and distributes its products via pipeline, including the Colonial Pipeline and Explorer Pipeline. 8 Table of Contents ◦ McKee Refinery . Our McKee Refinery is located in the Texas Panhandle. It processes primarily sweet crude oils and produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and asphalt. The refinery receives feedstocks via pipeline and distributes its products primarily via pipeline and rail. ◦ Port Arthur Refinery . Our Port Arthur Refinery is located on the Texas Gulf Coast approximately 90 miles east of Houston. It processes heavy sour crude oils and other feedstocks and produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and residual fuel oil. The refinery receives feedstocks via rail, ship, barge, and pipeline and distributes its products via pipeline, including the Colonial Pipeline and Explorer Pipeline, and via ship and barge. ◦ Texas City Refinery . Our Texas City Refinery is located southeast of Houston on the Texas City Ship Channel. It processes crude oils and produces gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The refinery receives feedstocks via pipeline and by ship and barge using docks on the Texas City Ship Channel and distributes its products via ship and barge, as well as via pipeline, including the Colonial Pipeline and Explorer Pipeline. ◦ Three Rivers Refinery . Our Three Rivers Refinery is located in South Texas between Corpus Christi and San Antonio. It primarily processes sweet crude oils and produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and aromatics. The refinery receives feedstocks via pipeline and truck and distributes its products primarily via pipeline. • Canada ◦ Quebec Refinery . Our Quebec Refinery is located in Lévis (near Quebec City). It processes sweet crude oils and produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, and low-sulfur fuel oil. The refinery receives feedstocks via ship at its marine dock on the St. Lawrence River (some of which is sourced from our crude oil terminal in Montreal that receives crude oil from western Canada) and distributes its products via our pipeline to our Montreal East terminal and other terminals and via rail, truck, and ship. • U.K. ◦ Pembroke Refinery . Our Pembroke Refinery is located in the County of Pembrokeshire in South West Wales. It processes primarily sweet crude oils and produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, and low-sulfur fuel oil. The refinery receives its feedstocks via ship and barge through docks on the Milford Haven Waterway and distributes its products via truck, ship, barge, and our Mainline Pipeline. Feedstock Supply Crude oil and other feedstocks are purchased through a combination of term and spot contracts. Our term supply contracts are at market-related prices, and feedstocks are purchased directly or indirectly from various national oil companies, as well as international and U.S. oil companies. The contracts generally permit the parties to amend the contracts (or terminate them), effective as of the next scheduled renewal date, by giving the other party proper notice within a prescribed period of time (e.g., 60 days, 6 months) before expiration of the current term. The majority of the crude oil purchased under our term contracts is purchased at the producer’s official stated price (i.e., the “market” price established by the seller for all purchasers) and not at a negotiated price specific to us. 9 Table of Contents Marketing Overview We sell refined petroleum products in both the wholesale rack and bulk markets. These sales include products that are manufactured in our refining operations, as well as products purchased or received on exchange from third parties. Most of our refineries have access to marine facilities, and they interconnect with common-carrier pipeline systems, allowing us to sell products in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Latin America, and other parts of the world. Wholesale Rack Sales We sell our products on a wholesale basis through an extensive rack marketing network. The principal purchasers of our products from terminal truck racks are wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and truck-delivered end users throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Latin America. The majority of our rack volume is sold through unbranded channels. The remainder is sold to distributors and dealers that are members of the Valero family of brands that operate branded sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Mexico. These sites are independently owned and are supplied by us under multi-year contracts. Approximately 7,000 outlets carry our brand names. For branded sites, products are sold under the Valero ® , Beacon ® , Diamond Shamrock ® , and Shamrock ® brands in the U.S., the Ultramar ® brand in Canada, the Valero ® and Texaco ® brands in the U.K. and Ireland, and the Valero ® brand in Mexico. Bulk Sales We also sell our products through bulk sales channels in the U.S. and international markets. Our bulk sales are made to various petroleum companies, traders, and bulk end users, such as railroads, airlines, and utilities. Our bulk sales are distributed primarily via pipeline, ship, and barge to major tank farms and trading hubs. Logistics We own logistics assets (crude oil pipelines, product pipelines, terminals, tanks, marine docks, truck rack bays, and other assets) that support our refining operations and export capabilities. Demand for transportation fuels in Latin America is expected to continue to grow. To support our wholesale rack operations in Latin America, we have invested in or grown our access to terminals in Mexico and Peru. Our U.S. Gulf Coast refineries are well positioned to support export growth to Latin America, and all of our refineries with waterborne access are well positioned to support export growth in other countries around the world. Renewable Diesel Our Relationship with DGD DGD is a joint venture that we consolidate. We entered into the DGD joint venture in 2011 and it began operations in 2013. We operate DGD’s renewable diesel plants and perform certain management functions for DGD as an independent contractor under an agreement with DGD. See Note 12 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements regarding our accounting for DGD. Renewable Diesel Plants DGD owns two renewable diesel plants. The first DGD plant began operations in 2013 and is located next to our St. Charles Refinery (the DGD St. Charles Plant). The second DGD plant began operations in 2022 and is located next to our Port Arthur Refinery (the DGD Port Arthur Plant, and together with the DGD St. Charles Plant, the DGD Plants). The DGD Plants produce renewable diesel, renewable naphtha, and 10 Table of Contents with the completion of the SAF project at the DGD Port Arthur Plant, began producing neat SAF in the fourth quarter of 2024. Renewable diesel is a low-carbon liquid transportation fuel that is interchangeable with petroleum-based diesel. Renewable naphtha can be used as a gasoline blendstock to produce renewable gasoline or as a feedstock for producing low-carbon petrochemicals that then can be used to produce renewable plastics. These products are produced from waste and renewable feedstocks using a pre-treatment process and an advanced hydroprocessing-isomerization process. Neat SAF is a renewable blending component that, under current aviation regulations, can be blended up to 50 percent with conventional jet fuel to produce SAF for use in an aircraft. The market value of these products can vary based on regional policies, feedstock preferences, and CI scores. Waste feedstocks (predominantly animal fats, used cooking oils, and inedible distillers corn oils (DCOs)) are the preferred feedstocks due to their lower CI scores; however, vegetable oils and other renewable feedstocks are also used. While several other companies have made, or have announced interest in making, investments in renewable diesel projects, the DGD Plants are currently two of only a small number of operational facilities that have the flexibility to process up to 100 percent waste feedstocks, and this feedstock flexibility provides margin opportunities in certain product markets. The DGD Plants receive waste and renewable feedstocks primarily by rail, truck, ship, and barge owned by third parties. DGD is party to a raw material supply agreement with Darling under which Darling is obligated to offer to DGD a portion of its feedstock requirements at market pricing, but DGD is not obligated to purchase all or any part of its feedstock from Darling. Therefore, DGD pursues the most optimal feedstock supply available. The DGD St. Charles Plant has a production capacity of approximately 700 million gallons of renewable diesel and approximately 30 million gallons of renewable naphtha per year. The DGD Port Arthur Plant has a production capacity of approximately 470 million gallons of renewable diesel and approximately 20 million gallons of renewable naphtha per year. DGD’s combined renewable diesel and renewable naphtha production capacities are approximately 1.2 billion gallons and 50 million gallons, respectively, per year. The SAF project at the DGD Port Arthur Plant commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2024. The project provides the plant the optionality to upgrade approximately 50 percent of its renewable diesel annual production capacity to neat SAF. Marketing DGD sells renewable diesel, renewable naphtha, and neat SAF under the Diamond Green Diesel ® brand primarily to be blended with petroleum-based diesel, petroleum-based gasoline, and conventional jet fuel, respectively, and to end users for use in their operations. DGD distributes its renewable diesel, renewable naphtha, and neat SAF via rail, ship, and barge to domestic and international markets. 11 Table of Contents Ethanol Ethanol Plants Our ethanol business began in 2009 with the purchase of our first ethanol plants. We have since grown the business by purchasing additional ethanol plants. Our 12 ethanol plants are located in the Mid-Continent region of the U.S., and they have a combined ethanol production capacity of approximately 1.7 billion gallons per year. Our ethanol plants are dry mill facilities that process corn to produce ethanol and various co-products, including livestock feed (dry distillers grains (DDGs) and syrup) and inedible DCOs. The following table presents the locations of our ethanol plants, their annual production capacities for ethanol (in millions of gallons) and DDGs (in tons), and their annual corn processing capacities (in millions of bushels) as of December 31, 2025. State City Ethanol Production Capacity DDG Production Capacity Corn Processing Capacity Indiana Bluffton 140 368,000 49 Linden 140 368,000 49 Mount Vernon 100 263,000 35 Iowa Albert City 140 368,000 49 Charles City 165 434,000 57 Fort Dodge 150 394,000 52 Hartley 150 394,000 52 Lakota 120 315,000 42 Minnesota Welcome 150 394,000 52 Nebraska Albion 140 368,000 49 Ohio Bloomingburg 140 368,000 49 South Dakota Aurora 165 434,000 57 Total 1,700 4,468,000 592 We source our corn supply from local farmers and commercial elevators. Our plants receive corn primarily via rail and truck. Marketing We sell our ethanol under term and spot contracts in bulk markets in the U.S. We also export our ethanol into the global markets and have access to logistics assets that are well positioned to support export growth. We distribute our ethanol primarily by rail (using some railcars owned by us), truck, ship, and barge. We sell DDGs primarily to animal feed customers in the U.S., Mexico, and Asia, which are distributed primarily via rail, truck, ship, and barge. Seasonality Demand for gasoline, diesel, and asphalt is higher during the spring and summer months than during the winter months in most of our markets, primarily due to seasonal increases in highway traffic and construction. The demand for renewable diesel has not significantly fluctuated by season. Ethanol is primarily blended into gasoline, and as a result, ethanol demand typically moves in line with the demand for gasoline. 12 Table of Contents GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS We incorporate by reference into this item the disclosures on government regulations, including environmental regulations, contained in the following sections of this report: • “—OUR COMPREHENSIVE LIQUID FUELS STRATEGY— Regulations, Policies, and Standards Driving Low-Carbon Fuel Demand ”; • “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS—LEGAL, GOVERNMENT, AND REGULATORY RISKS”; and • “ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS—ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT MATTERS.” Our business is heavily regulated, and our costs for compliance with government regulations are significant and can be material, especially costs associated with the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs disclosed in Notes 19 and 20 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, which are incorporated by reference into this item. In addition, see Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements regarding our accounting for the costs of these programs under “ Costs of Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuel Programs.” Our capital expenditures attributable to compliance with government regulations, including environmental regulations, did not have a material effect on our total capital expenditures in 2025, and we currently do not expect that compliance with government regulations, including environmental regulations, will have material effects on our total capital expenditures in 2026. HUMAN CAPITAL We believe that our employees provide a competitive advantage for our success. We seek to foster a strong team culture that supports our employees, and we strive to provide a safe, healthy, and rewarding work environment for our employees with opportunities for professional growth and long-term financial stability. Headcount On December 31, 2025, we had 9,811 employees. These employees were located in the following countries: Country Number of Employees U.S. 8,182 Canada 638 U.K. and Ireland 821 Mexico and Peru 170 Total 9,811 Of our total employees as of December 31, 2025, 1,782 were covered by collective bargaining or similar agreements and 9,785 were in permanent full-time positions. See also “ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS—GENERAL RISK FACTORS —We are exposed to risks arising from various labor-related matters .” 13 Table of Contents Company Culture and Human Capital (People) Strategy Our company culture and our well-defined expectations of ethics and behavior guide the daily work of our employees and support our efforts to produce exceptional company results. The six values that define our culture are Safety, Accountability, Teamwork, Do the Right Thing, Caring, and Excellence . Our people strategy and programs are designed and implemented to support our business and strategic objectives. In building and fostering great teams, we are guided by the following: • We strive to hire and promote top-talent employees with team-oriented work ethics and values; • Our pay, benefits, and support programs are designed to attract and retain excellent employees and to reward innovation, ingenuity, and excellence; • We seek to provide a best-in-class work environment built on a foundation of respect, accountability, and trust; • We promote a culture of learning intended to drive excellence at all levels of the organization and foster career-long growth and development opportunities for employees; and • We regularly assess employee performance, organizational structures, and succession plans to support operational excellence, efficiency, and effectiveness. We believe that having employees from different backgrounds with a variety of talents, experience, education, and perspectives helps create innovative and engaged teams, which provide strengths and advantages for our success. To this end, we are committed to equal employment opportunity without illegal discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. In accordance with our obligations as a federal contractor, we are committed to hiring and retaining veterans and reservists of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as individuals with disabilities. As of December 31, 2025, approximately 11 percent and 12 percent of our U.S. employees were veterans and reservists of the U.S. Armed Forces, and individuals with disabilities, respectively. Safety We believe that safety and reliability are important, not only for the protection of our employees and communities, and the cultural values we aspire to as a company, but also for operational success. A decrease in the number of employee and process safety events should generally reduce unplanned shutdowns and increase the operational reliability of our refineries and plants. This, in turn, should also translate into a safer workplace with fewer environmental incidents and stronger community relations. We strive to improve safety and reliability performance by offering year-round safety training programs for our employees and contractors and by seeking to promote the same expectations and culture of safety. We also seek to enhance our safety performance by conducting safety audits, quality assurance visits, and comprehensive safety and risk assessments at our facilities. To assess safety performance, we measure our annual total recordable incident rate (TRIR), which includes data with respect to our global refining employees and contractors and is defined as the number of recordable injuries per 200,000 working hours. We also annually measure our Tier 1 Process Safety Event Rate, which is a metric defined by the American Petroleum Institute that identifies process safety events per 200,000 total employee and contractor working hours. We use these measures and believe they 14 Table of Contents are helpful in assessing our safety performance because they evaluate performance relative to the numbers of hours being worked. These metrics are also used by others in our industry, which allows for a more objective comparison of our performance. Our refinery employee and contractor TRIR for 2025 was 0.13 and 0.19, respectively, and our refinery Tier 1 Process Safety Event Rate for 2025 was 0.04. Compensation and Benefits We believe that it is important to provide our employees with competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits. Our compensation programs are designed with consideration of anti-discrimination laws and built upon a foundational philosophy of market-competitive and performance-based pay. In addition, we have an annual bonus program that rewards company achievements in various operational, financial, and strategic objectives. The benefits we offer to employees, depending on work location and eligibility status, include, among others, health care plans that are generally available to all employees, vacation and leave programs, access to financial education and planning, caregiver support networks (including an on-site child care center at our headquarters), a company 401(k) matching program, various company-sponsored pension plans, on-site employee wellness centers, tuition reimbursement programs, and fitness center access or a subsidy. Training and Development We offer a comprehensive training and development program for our employees in subjects such as engineering and technical excellence, safety, environmental, maintenance and machinery/equipment repair, ethics, leadership, and employee performance. We also require all employees to complete training on technical matters, such as cybersecurity and information technology security, and various compliance and corporate conduct matters. We offer virtual training, which allows for greater availability and access across our global workforce. Wellness We strive to promote the health and well-being of our employees and their families. Our Total Wellness Program serves as the umbrella program for all aspects of employee wellness. Under this program, our employees’ well-being is prioritized through comprehensive resources and subsidized services. We continually evaluate our benefit offerings to support improved health and wellness outcomes for our people and to help determine the most appropriate allocation of company resources. 15