Tasmania is working towards an on-island fuel reserve and is talking to Singapore and Indonesia to secure supply deals.
The state government says Tasmania has 85 days of petrol and 48 days of diesel in stock or on the way.
Energy Minister Nick Duigan says the state’s fuel supply is secure despite a recent fire at the Viva Energy refinery in Geelong, Victoria, reducing production; click here for more.
“We are working through a process to identify the best opportunities to utilise any latent fuel storage capacity outside our fuel terminals,” he says.
“Potential storage opportunities have been identified, including three decommissioned tanks at Self’s Point, which could provide an additional 12 million litres of storage if brought back online.”
He says the government is also looking for more sources to supply more diesel.
“This is a top priority for us,” he says.
TASMANIA SENDS TEAM
Trade Minister and Deputy Premier Guy Barnett is leading a 20-strong team on a mission to Singapore and Indonesia to talk about petrol, diesel, fertiliser and export issues.
“We are continuing work to establish an on-island strategic fuel reserve; in Singapore, I will be meeting directly with senior government officials in relation to fuel security,” he says.
“A key focus of this mission will be engaging with government and industry partners on energy and fuel security.”
The team will also discuss strengthening the resilience of supply chains for essential imports like fertilisers and is seeking a meeting with fertiliser giant PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur in Indonesia.
“The mission will include high-level meetings with government and industry, promoting Tasmania at a tourism showcase in Singapore and delivering a Tasmanian stand at the largest Food & Hospitality Asia expo with more than 80,000 attendees expected,” Barnett says.
Indonesia remains Tasmania’s third-largest trading partner with exports of $351.84 million while Singapore is the state’s 12th-largest export destination, the government says.
OTHER FUEL NEWS: transport groups fret over emergency supplies quality
