bp to close refinery in West Australia by 31 March

The Kwinana Refinery will be converted into an import terminal.

The Kwinana Refinery of multinational oil and gas company bp will cease operations by end-March 2021, as announced in October 2020.

To ensure maintained fuel supply for Western Australia, the refinery located near Fremantle will be converted into an import terminal.

“Regional oversupply and sustained low refining margins mean the Kwinana Refinery is no longer economically viable,” bp said in a media release.

Currently, the refinery has a headcount of about 650 people comprising 400 permanent staff and 250 contractors.

The new import terminal will support construction work until 2022; upon completion, it’s expected to supply around 60 jobs.

bp is also reportedly “exploring future options for the site”, which include eyeing the construction of a potential clean energy hub that will make use of existing and emerging technologies necessary for the decarbonisation of Western Australia.

“A multi-use clean energy hub could produce and store lower carbon fuels, including sustainable aviation and marine fuels and waste-to-energy solutions such as renewable diesel,” bp added.