Viva Energy has announced that it has finished refurbishing a storage tank, which will supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to Brisbane Airport (BNE). The work was completed as part of a series of programs using funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Viva hopes to expand its SAF production network to its other Australian oil refineries.
What’s Happening in Brisbane?
The newly refurbished storage tank at the Pinkeba Terminal in Eastern Brisbane will be able to hold up to 3.3 million Litres of SAF and transport it on demand to BNE.
SAF refers to aviation fuel that has been created or discovered in a carbon neutral way. This process has no impact on the emissions released by the fuel when it is used by an aircraft.
This is the first time a dedicated SAF storage and blending facility has been directly connected to an Australian Airport.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said that,
“This project shows how we can start supplying SAF through existing fuel systems, while building the foundations for a domestic industry in Australia.”
The SAF will be supplied through a “book and claim” system where both airlines and corporate customers will both be able to voluntarily pay an additional cost to Viva Energy, in order to use SAF on their flights.
Viva Energy’s CEO Scott Wyatt said that the rise in fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East increased the urgency of his company’s work.
“To know where (the fuel) was needed and how to get it there with the demand rush that was happening was critical”
Wyatt told reporters Monday July 6.
Viva Energy’s Future Plans
Viva Energy acts as the distributor for Shell branded fuel across Australia, and also own the Geelong Oil Refinery in Victoria.
Experts from the climate accountability institute estimate that Shell is one of the world’s biggest polluters, being responsible for roughly 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere in 2025.
Despite this, Wyatt reaffirmed his commitment to reducing Viva Energy’s carbon footprint.
“We’re a big believer in renewable fuels being part of that solution” he said, “and the construction of this tank here at Pinkeba is a small but important part of beginning that journey for us.”
He went on to say that Viva Energy is now targeting the construction of an SAF import facility in Victoria, and a further series of distribution programs based at their Geelong refinery.
The Australian Government’s Contribution
ARENA was founded as a government agency in 2012 to support Australia’s transition to a net zero economy.
It is currently responsible for distributing AU$36.7 million (£19.08 million) of government funding set aside for the development of SAF technology.
This includes the AU$3.15 million (£1.64 million) of funding the government has invested in sustainable energy provider Wildfire Energy’s plans to convert residual food waste into methanol-based aviation fuel.
The government hopes that its investment in SAF will help Australia reach its target of reducing net carbon emissions to 43% lower by 2030 than they were in 2005 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
These targets were enshrined in law for the first time by the 2022 Climate Change Act.
Is SAF the future of aviation? Is the Australian government doing enough to cut carbon dioxide emissions? Let us know what you think in the comments.
