By Luke Voogt
Australia’s largest crude oil tank officially opened at Geelong’s refinery on Wednesday.
The $50 million tank could hold 100 million litres of crude oil, enough to meet Victoria’s needs for three days, refinery general manager Thys Heyns said.
“This is a momentous day for the refinery, the Geelong community and Victoria,” he said as he officially opened the tank.
The tank would improve the refinery’s production capabilities and fuel supply security for Victoria, Mr Heyns said.
“This tank increases our crude storage capacity by 40 per cent.”
The tank stands 21 metres high, has a diameter of 84 metres and can hold the equivalent of 40 Olympic swimming pools in crude oil.
About 120 workers used 4000 tonnes of steel and worked 250,000 hours to complete the tank.
The tank can hold about 15 days of crude oil produced from the Bass Strait (Gippsland) oil fields, enough to supply the refinery’s customers for about 30 days.
Viva has invested $300m in infrastructure upgrades over three years to make its Geelong refinery viable, including a jet fuel crane and a bitumen export facility.
“All of these projects further demonstrate our commitment to build a sustainable business in Geelong and support our customers in Victoria,” Mr Heyns said.
The company has undertaken the upgrades while battling power price rises of more than half, or $25 million per annum, for the refinery.
Federal MPs Richard Marles and Sarah Henderson joined Mr Heyns at the opening on Wednesday.
Corio MP Richard Marles described the tank as symbolic of Viva Energy’s investment in Geelong manufacturing.
“With a workforce of around 700 at the refinery this is great news for regional Victorian jobs and workers,” Mr Marles said.
“The refinery has been an important part of the Geelong community for more than 60 years so it is great to see all of this investment being made to secure its long-term future,” Ms Henderson said.
