Partnership to turn cooking oil into fuel

Viva Energy and Cleanaway have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in a step towards the manufacture of low-carbon liquid fuels and products in Australia.

The MOU would see large quantities of domestic used cooking oil (UCO) delivered to Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery to produce advanced fuels like a renewable diesel (RD) blend and products such as a bio-circular polymer.

The agreement aims to establish an ongoing supply of UCO from Cleanaway’s Laverton used cooking oil treatment facility, highlighting the potential for local waste to become a valuable resource for communities and the national economy.

Viva Energy has been running a successful pilot program at its Geelong refinery demonstrating co-processing, which involves UCO being processed in commercial quantities alongside crude oil in the refinery and transformed into high-value products.

The UCO for the trials has been sourced from Cleanaway’s facilities where the oil is purified into a ready-to-use feedstock for the refinery. By scaling up local supply and using it in the refinery, the loop will be closed between waste generation, resource recovery and re-use.

By transforming used cooking oil into sustainable fuels and materials, Viva Energy and Cleanaway are demonstrating a practical pathway to help customers who are looking to reduce their Scope 1 emissions by using products such as renewable diesel, including Cleanaway which operates more than 4100 heavy vehicles that provide essential waste management services to the community.

It also supports local jobs, underpins Australian industry and reduces reliance on imported feedstocks and materials.

“Australia has the expertise, technology and local supply chains to adopt an important role in sustainable energy and circular manufacturing,” said Lachlan Pfeiffer, Viva Energy’s Chief Strategy Officer. “Official recognition and support for co-processing in NGERS VIVA ENERGY: CONFIDENTIAL and the Guarantee of Origin Scheme would help build the case for investment in local recycling, clean fuel production and job creation, helping Australia retain and indeed build its sovereign manufacturing capability.”

Cleanaway’s Executive General Manager Strategy and M&A, Frank Lintvelt, highlighted the opportunities that could be unlocked through this initiative.

“By recognising co-processing, we can convert waste into valuable products and build the foundations of a prosperous, low-carbon liquid fuel industry in Australia to decarbonise hard-to-abate transport sectors. We look forward to working closely with government to help shape policies that support these shared goals and inspire a new generation of sustainable solutions.”

Image caption: Geelong Refinery aerial photo. Image: Supplied.