Climate and Energy minister Chris Bowen says rebuilding closed refineries ‘not realistic’

Climate and Energy minister Chris Bowen has all but ruled out rebuilding closed refineries on Australian soil.

In a press conference on Sunday, Mr Bowen said, while the government would work to ensure fuel security for Australians, they did not plan to reinstate the four Australian oil refineries closed from 2013 to 2022.

“When a refinery closes, it’s effectively dismantled,” he said.

“You can’t just rustle them back, magic them back.

“Rebuilding it is not that easy or cheap undertaking; the time to save a refinery is when it’s existing.

“I’ve increased the ability for (the two existing refineries) to access payments, to maintain their viability in a very competitive refining environment internationally.”

Mr Bowen said the government would be looking at short-term and long-term solutions to the fuel crisis and assured no other Australian refineries would close under the Labor government.

“No refineries closed, and none will close, under our time in office,” he said.

“We’re in ongoing conversations about fuel security and what sensible things can be considered; there’s a budget coming up, if there are sensible measures, the government will consider them.

“If there are proposals for more oil extraction in Australia, they should be very carefully and sensibly looked at with a view to replacing oil imports.

“In addition, we’re building energy security through diversifying our energy, including renewable energy – including the sun that can’t be interrupted in its flow to Australia and the wind that can’t be interrupted by sanctions.

“But I do want to manage expectations about rebuilding at very great expense one of the refineries that closed under a Liberal government — that is not a realistic opportunity for our country.”

Mr Bowen announced a further 939 million litres of crude oil would be delivered to Australia in the next four weeks to be refined, in our two remaining refineries, into fuel.