Albanese says Geelong refinery fire won’t trigger next stage of fuel security plan

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says a fire at Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery will not prompt the government to move to the next stage of Australia’s four-step national fuel security plan, even as the plant operates at reduced capacity. Albanese cut short a trip to Malaysia and visited the refinery on Friday, two days after a blaze broke out in a section dedicated to petrol production.

Authorities do not believe the incident is suspicious. The facility, one of only two operational oil refineries in Australia, typically produces about 10% of the nation’s fuel and roughly half of Victoria’s. Speaking outside the site, Albanese said petrol production had dropped to about 60% capacity, while diesel and jet fuel output were at around 80% due to safety measures.

“It has slowed down just slightly because of the circumstances which are there,” he said, adding that the company hopes to ramp up operations as assessments progress. Energy Minister Chris Bowen cautioned on Thursday that damage to the site could affect petrol supply for “some time”.

Viva Energy chief executive Scott Wyatt said he could not provide a timeline for a return to full production until a full assessment is completed, but he did not expect the incident to impact the company’s supply to the Victorian market. Albanese said the situation did not warrant escalating beyond stage two of the four-point fuel security roadmap agreed by federal, state and territory leaders last month.

The government plans to provide an update on national fuel stockpiles and incoming shipments on Saturday. The prime minister also announced BP would be added to an arrangement with Export Finance Australia that allows the government to underwrite delivery of additional fuel cargoes.

That follows the securing of an extra 100 million litres of diesel from Brunei and South Korea, alongside additional fertiliser purchases and an expansion of the halal meat trade with Malaysia. Work to assess the extent of the damage at the Geelong site is continuing.

The government says its focus remains on maintaining supply while the refinery restores capacity.