Fuel haulage specialist, Hills Tankers, has announced a major contract with Viva Energy Australia.
Operations will include delivering aviation, marine and ground fuel to the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
“This contract will play a key role in underpinning Australia’s national security through the supply of fuel to the ADF both locally and internationally,” said the company in an online statement.
A total of seven combinations, pulled by MAN and Volvo prime movers, will work out of Sydney and Brisbane as part of the arrangement transporting jet fuel.
Viva Energy first confirmed it had executed a strategically significant contract with the Department of Defence supply aviation, marine and ground fuel to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) back in June.
The Fuel Supply Contract is for an initial six-year term which may be extended to 12 years.
As part of the deal and as an important Australian Industry Capability activity, Viva Energy will resume production at Geelong Refinery of F-44 (Avcat) or JP-5, a military specification aviation turbine fuel used on aircraft carriers.
The high-flash jet fuel had been previously manufactured and imported from overseas.
Last week Viva Energy announced it had made major progress with the construction of three new 30-metre tall tanks with 90 million litres of diesel storage capacity due for completion next year.
The scope of the contract will see Viva Energy supplying fuel to all Defence Fuel Installations (DFIs) around Australia and the RMAF Base Butterworth in Malaysia.
Viva Energy will also be responsible for fuel supply to ADF aircraft and vessels at all commercial airports, ports and marinas in Australia and around the world.
Under this contract, Viva Energy would work with the ADF on energy transition and renewable fuels.
At the time, Viva Energy CEO and MD Scott Wyatt noted the contract was significant for both its Refining and Commercial & Industrial businesses.
“We are delighted to extend our strategic relationship with the Commonwealth and look forward to supporting the ADF’s Australian and international fuel requirements as a key enabler of their capability,” he said.
This week the Australian Government announced it would support almost 1,000 defence industry jobs with a new $2 billion contract to maintain and sustain Australia’s naval fleet in Sydney.
Thales Australia has been appointed as the Regional Maintenance Provider for the new Regional Maintenance Centre East at Defence’s Garden Island Precinct.
The new maintenance centre will support the Navy’s Canberra class Landing Helicopter Docks, Hobart class Guided Missile Destroyers and HMAS Choules Landing Ship Dock.
Tensions in the region were already on the rise following two collisions last month between Filipino and Chinese vessels in waters fiercely contested in the South China Sea.
On the 14 November an incident took place in which Australian divers, while clearing fishing nets from the propellers of HMAS Toowoomba off the coast of Japan, were injured when a Chinese People’s Liberation destroyer ventured too close.
The Toowoomba crew warned the PLA warship there were divers in the water however it continued its trajectory and was seen using its hull-mounted sonar, which was the “likely” cause for minor injuries sustained by one of the divers.
China defended the naval interaction following Australia’s condemnation of the incident.
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