A significant fire broke out at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong just after 11 pm on Wednesday night. Thankfully, there were no casualties reported, but firefighters faced a long battle, tackling the blaze for 13 hours before it was fully under control.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the refinery the following morning, reassuring the public that the incident would not affect the country’s fuel supply. He noted that production of diesel and aviation fuel was still functioning at 80% capacity, while petrol was being produced at 60%. “We anticipate that this will ramp up over the coming period,” Albanese stated.
Viva Energy’s CEO, Scott Wyatt, highlighted the necessity of gathering more details before determining a timeline for repairs. He confirmed that safety remains the company’s top priority and acknowledged there would be financial repercussions due to the fire, although these costs would not be transferred to consumers at the fuel pumps. Wyatt expressed confidence that any production shortfalls could be compensated for by their import schedule and assured that Viva’s supply network for Victoria remained strong.
Notably, Viva supplies about 10% of Australia’s fuel needs but provides half of the state of Victoria’s supply. In response to potential shortages, both Viva and Ampol have secured agreements with Export Finance Australia to facilitate the import of additional oil, addressing any national deficits. Albanese also announced that fuel company BP would be importing more fuel globally to support domestic needs.
Furthermore, agreements have been established to ensure the delivery of 100 million litres of oil from Brunei and South Korea, following discussions with neighbouring Asia-Pacific countries. Albanese expressed gratitude towards Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for securing a deal that would help provide 20% of Australia’s urea requirements, aiming to mitigate a fertiliser crisis linked to the ongoing fuel situation.
“Our commitment is to minimise the impacts of this incident,” Albanese affirmed. The situation is being monitored carefully as the government and industry work together to ensure that essential services remain unaffected.