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Brisbane Linked to Australia’s First Airport‑Connected Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tank

Direct pipeline delivery of blended SAF to Brisbane Airport creates an operational route to cut flight emissions if prices fall and policy support grows.

Overview

  • The Pinkenba storage and blending tank has been commissioned and now feeds blended sustainable aviation fuel directly into Brisbane Airport’s fuel network for airlines to buy.
  • Viva Energy is using repurposed used cooking oil imported from Malaysia as the feedstock and has installed certification and accounting systems to track the fuel’s emissions claims.
  • The $4.93 million Pinkenba upgrade was partly funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and refurbished a 3.3 million litre tank to enable book‑and‑claim tracking and pipeline delivery.
  • SAF currently costs roughly three to five times more than conventional jet fuel, which executives say will limit airline uptake unless prices fall or government policy gives stronger incentives.
  • Industry groups and researchers say this operational link is a practical step toward aviation decarbonisation and a foundation for future domestic processing projects in Victoria and Geelong that could grow supply.