Viva Energy expects its Geelong refinery to return to more than 90 per cent of production capacity within weeks, following a swift and effective response to a fire in its Alkylation unit earlier this month.
The incident, which broke out late on Wednesday April 15, was quickly contained by the refinery’s emergency response team alongside Fire Rescue Victoria and emergency services, and was fully extinguished by late Thursday morning. All personnel onsite were safely accounted for.
Most major processing units were unaffected, allowing the refinery to continue operating. Diesel and jet fuel production is currently at around 80 per cent capacity, while petrol production is at approximately 60 per cent.
Viva Energy has confirmed it holds sufficient fuel stocks to support demand and does not expect any disruption to fuel availability or pricing for customers.
Viva Energy CEO Scott Wyatt said the company would prioritise safety as it works to progressively restore full operations, while also undertaking a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the fire.
“The whole Viva Energy team understands how important our refinery is to the energy security of the country,” he said. “We will progressively restore production once we are confident that it is safe to do so.”
Despite ongoing pressure on global fuel markets, the company’s refining capability and international supply partnerships position it strongly to maintain reliable supply.
