Viva Energy and Cleanaway partner to advance low-carbon fuels

Viva Energy and Cleanaway Waste Management have announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding 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 fuels like a renewable diesel (RD) blend and products such as a biocircular polymer. The agreement aims to establish an ongoing supply of UCO from Cleanaway’s Laverton used cooking oil treatment facility.

Viva Energy says it 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 reuse.

By transforming used cooking oil into sustainable fuels and materials, Viva Energy and Cleanaway say they 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. The program also supports local jobs, underpins Australian industry, and reduces reliance on imported feedstocks and materials.

Co-processing can support the Australian Government’s desire to promote production and use of low-carbon liquid fuels (LCLFs) through the Future Made in Australia program and recently released Net Zero Plan and Transport Sector Plan. The Transport Sector Plan highlights that LCLFs can play a key role in reducing emissions from the nation’s hard-to-abate sectors, including heavy transport, and support the country’s 2035 emissions reduction targets.

Lachlan Pfeiffer, Viva Energy’s Chief Strategy Officer, said the evolution of sustainable energy solutions in Australia depends on not just technological innovation and company investment, but also on the development of supportive government policies that can stimulate supply and demand of new lower-carbon products.

“Australia has the expertise, technology, and local supply chains to adopt an important role in sustainable energy and circular manufacturing,” he said. “Official recognition and support for co-processing in NGERS 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,” he said. “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.”

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