Located 13 kilometres west of Melbourne, the Altona Refinery supplies half of Victoria's fuel needs. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and processes crude oil into the full range of petroleum products. 

The refinery provides employment for around 350 people and generates many thousand additional jobs through links with the wider community.

The refinery produces up to 13 million litres of refined products per day - enough to fill more than 300,000 cars. Petrol represents approximately 50 percent of production, with diesel representing a further 25 percent and jet fuel around 15 percent.

The refinery also produces bitumen and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The percentage of each product depends on the type of feedstock used - different types of crude oil, for example, will produce more or less LPG from the refining process.

After processing, refined products are pumped into storage tanks to await distribution. There are almost 100 storage tanks at the Altona Refinery and in the adjacent "tank farm".

Around 90 percent of products are transported by pipeline from the refinery to Mobil's Yarraville Terminal for distribution by road and rail. Bitumen is transported directly from the refinery by road or rail.

The refinery supplies the nearby Qenos Plant with LPG, which in turn supplies feedstocks to a number of petrochemical manufacturing plants at Altona. These plants produce the raw material from which a multitude of consumer products are made including adhesives, plastics, film, wire insulation, radio and TV cabinets, car batteries and tyres.

In total, production from the refinery is valued at around A$3 billion per annum.

Complying with Statutory Requirements

Victorian Government regulations require that the Altona Refinery is registered as a Major Hazard Facility because it stores, handles and processes large quantities of flammable products. In line with this, a detailed Safety Case has been developed, identifying risks associated with potential major incidents in Altona's operation and putting in place procedures to ensure these risks are reduced to the maximum extent practicable. 

Environment Improvement Plan

The refinery operates under an environmental licence issued by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The refinery has an Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) in place to meet strict guidelines laid down by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), as well as local community expectations. The EIP aims to continually improve the refinery's environmental performance through appropriate investment in plant and equipment, together with regular review of operating procedures and internal standards.

When the Altona Refinery developed its first Environmental Improvement Plan in 1991, it was the first agreement of its type ever struck between the EPA, community and a local industry, and unique in that the refinery voluntarily committed to taking measures to reduce its impact on the surrounding community and environment. More than a decade on, the EIP process remains a cornerstone of the development and management of our key environmental programs.

The refinery's good environmental performance is based on minimising air, noise and water emissions.

Air emissions are measured by a permanent monitoring station in the local area.  Between 2002 and 2006, the refinery reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by almost 30 percent.

Noise levels have been reduced in recent years through a number of projects including significant reductions in noise levels from heaters.

Oil and solvents are removed from wastewater before it is discharged into the trade waste sewer, and the amount discharged is minimised by recycling treated wastewater back into operations where practicable.

The refinery operates a 24 hour Environmental Hotline to address any community concerns. The number is 1800 659 527.

View the 2007-2009 Altona Refinery Environment Improvement Plan (PDF).