Australia’s third most populous state, Queensland, will fast-track approvals for Ampol to upgrade one of the two remaining oil refineries in the nation within two years.
Acting Premier Steven Miles has declared the stock exchange-listed fossil fuel producer’s upgrade of its ageing Brisbane plant to produce low-sulphur petrol by the end of 2024, when it becomes mandatory under federal law, as a critical infrastructure project on the advice of the coordinator-general.
The federal government is in talks over a taxpayer-funded grant for Ampol to upgrade its refinery, which along with Viva Energy’s Geelong facility it considers strategically important.
The state government’s declaration will speed up the approvals process, allowing the company to break ground sooner….