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Tallow could help solve Australia's fuel shortages
GrainCorp's Jeff Summerville says Australia's tallow industry could help improve national fuel security.
Key points
- Australia is the world's biggest exporter of tallow and animal oils.
- Tallow exports hit a record $1.5 billion last year, driven by surging global demand, particularly from the US.
- Parwan Protein and Tallow, north-west of Melbourne, opened in 2023 at a cost of about $40 million.
Why it matters. If a domestic refinery goes ahead, Australian tallow could support local fuel security, though the government's Cleaner Fuels Program policies are still being written.
GrainCorp's Jeff Summerville says tallow could play a role in improving Australia's fuel security after the Iran war disrupted global oil supplies. Australia imports 90 per cent of its diesel and last year exported a record $1.5 billion of tallow and animal oils. Jess Bloomfield of the Australian Renderers Association says about 80 per cent of tallow exports go to the US. GrainCorp plans a refinery at Lytton in Brisbane with Ampol and IFM Investors.
Latest updates
Tallow could help solve Australia's fuel shortages
Australia imports 90 per cent of its diesel, which is vital for transport, agriculture, mining and more. The disruption of global oil supplies from the Iran war has highlighted Australia's fuel import dependence and increased momentum for alternative energy supplies. "What's happened in the Strait of Hormuz is fuel security has become really important," GrainCorp's head of agri-energy, Jeff Summerville said. "So, how can Australia be more self-sufficient?" Jeff Summerville says Australia's tallow industry could play an important role in improving the country's fuel security. ( ABC Landline: Cameron Lang ) Mr Summerville believed part of the solution could be found in tallow, a by-product of meat processing. The hard, whitish product is made by rendering, or melting and purifying, fat, oils and bones from cattle, sheep, poultry, pigs, goats and aquaculture. It can be combined with used cooking oils and canola oil to produce renewable fuels. Global demand drives record tallow exports Australia is the world's biggest exporter of tallow and animal oils. Last year, exports soared to a record $1.5 billion due to surging global demand, particularly from the United States. Tallow has made a comeback as a food ingredient in recent times. ( ABC Landline: Tim Lee ) "We still use some tallow for food refining whether it's pastries or good old-fashioned meat pies, but by far the bulk of it .