Viva Energy and Cleanaway Waste Management have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the production of low-carbon liquid fuels and products in Australia.
Under the agreement, Cleanaway will supply large volumes of domestic used cooking oil (UCO) from its Laverton treatment facility to Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery. The oil will be processed into renewable diesel and biocircular polymers, supporting local resource recovery and reducing reliance on imported materials.
Viva Energy has been trialling co-processing at its Geelong refinery, which involves blending UCO with crude oil to create lower-carbon products. The company said the process closes the loop between waste generation, recovery, and reuse.
Lachlan Pfeiffer, Chief Strategy Officer at Viva Energy, said supportive policies were needed to encourage investment and adoption.
“Australia has the expertise, technology, and local supply chains to adopt an important role in sustainable energy and circular manufacturing.
“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.”
Co-processing aligns with the Australian Government’s Future Made in Australia program and Net Zero Plan, which identify low-carbon liquid fuels as key to cutting emissions in hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy transport.
Frank Lintvelt, Executive General Manager Strategy and M&A at Cleanaway, said recognising co-processing could help turn waste into economic opportunity.
“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.”
The initiative aims to support heavy transport operators seeking to reduce Scope 1 emissions, including Cleanaway, which runs more than 4100 waste management vehicles.
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