Fire-hit refinery begins recovery

Control of the Geelong Refinery has been returned to Viva Energy, nearly three weeks after a major fire tore through part of the facility.

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) handed the site back on Monday, marking the end of its emergency response following the 15 April blaze in the refinery’s alkylation unit.

The fire broke out shortly after 11pm and was brought under control within 13 hours through the combined efforts of FRV crews and Viva Energy firefighters.

Despite the relatively swift suppression, authorities retained control of the site in the weeks that followed to manage ongoing post-fire risks and ensure the safety of refinery works and the broader community, FRV said.

Air quality, surface and water runoff testing conducted during the response found no contamination concerns for nearby residents.

A general view of the Viva Energy Geelong refinery in Corio. Photo: Jay Kogler/AAP.

FRV incident controller Anthony Pearce said the situation had now stabilised.

“The safety of the community, first responders and Viva Energy employees has been and remains our highest priority,” he said.

“There is no longer an emergency occurring on site. We have confidence Viva Energy will undertake its obligations to operate safely and effectively moving forward.”

In a statement on Monday, Viva Energy said its focus had shifted to recovery, including securing and isolating damaged equipment so inspections and preparatory works could begin.

The company expects repairs to take about six weeks, with operations ramping back up in June and production returning to more than 90 per cent of capacity.

Authorities are preparing to investigate a “ferocious” fire at one of Australia’s two refineries that has affected fuel production. Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP.

In the meantime, fuel production remains reduced – with diesel and jet fuel production at 80 per cent of capacity and petrol at 60 per cent capacity – but Viva Energy said it has sufficient stocks to maintain normal supply to customers.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing and may take several months to complete.

WorkSafe Victoria is also expected to undertake its own investigation into the incident.

Weekly testing of the Geelong Refinery’s site alarm resumed at 9am on Tuesday, following the handover of the site.

The alarm was a test and there is no cause for concern.