Viva Energy Gas Terminal is planned to be developed adjacent to the company’s Geelong Refinery in Victoria, Australia.
The terminal will receive Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from various domestic and overseas locations to meet the projected gas shortages in south-east Australian markets.
In May 2025, the Victorian Government delivered a positive assessment on the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) for the LNG terminal project. It stated that the potential impacts of the project can be managed with strengthened environmental management practices and amended mitigation measures are adopted.
This assessment advances the project towards Viva’s commercial decision to move forward, pending further regulatory approvals.
Viva Energy is expected to make a Final Investment Decision (FID) by the end of 2025. The terminal is slated to commence operations in 2028.
Once complete, the gas terminal would have the capacity to supply more than 120 petajoules of gas annually.
Project Background
In June 2020, Viva Energy unveiled its plan to transform the Geelong Refinery into an Energy Hub.
The Gas Terminal Project is the first initiative under the Geelong Energy Hub to be developed. The terminal will ensure energy security in Victoria, where natural gas meets about 22% of the state’s total energy requirements.
An LNG terminal is proposed as a cost-effective alternative to long-distance gas transportation via pipelines.
The project aims to enable gas imports of up to 160 petajoules (PJ) annually.
Viva Energy Gas Terminal Infrastructure
The Viva Energy Gas Terminal Project will comprise several key components with a Floating Gas Terminal serving as the central element.
The vessel, known as a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU), will store and convert LNG back into natural gas. This vessel will be moored at a newly constructed berth at Refinery Pier. LNG ships will dock alongside the FSRU to unload LNG, which will then be stored and converted as needed.
The Refinery Pier will be extended by approximately 570m to accommodate these operations. This will also involve some localised dredging to facilitate ship berthing and turning.
A treatment facility located within the refinery boundary will ensure that all gas meets Australian specifications. This process includes adding an odorant to the gas for a distinctive smell.
Additionally, about 6.5km of new pipeline will be built to transport the gas. Approximately 2.5km of this pipeline will be above ground on the pier and refinery land, while the remaining 4km will be underground within existing pipeline corridors.
Environmental impacts are potentially minimised through the proposed reuse of FSRU seawater discharge in existing refinery operations.
Operations
The project is expected to take up to 18 months for construction and commissioning, with operations anticipated to last around 20 years.
Up to 45 LNG carriers are expected to visit the terminal annually, largely during the winter months when gas demand peaks.
The FSRU will store LNG at approximately -160°C and convert it to gas using seawater in a process called regasification. From there, the gas will be transferred through the aboveground and underground pipelines into the Victorian gas network via the South West Pipeline (SWP) at Lara.
Visits by LNG carriers are expected to represent only a small increase, about 5%, in total ship traffic to the Port of Geelong.
Contractors Involved
In March 2025, Viva Energy contracted LNG consultant Poten & Partners to secure a FSRU for the proposed LNG terminal in Geelong.
Poten & Partners is reaching out to the global maritime industry, inviting expressions of interest for either supplying an existing FSRU or converting an LNG carrier into an FSRU for the terminal. The new terminal requires a vessel with a significant capacity, ranging from 160,000m³ to 180,000m³ of gas, capable of delivering up to 750 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
