Western Australia’s only independent senator, Fatima Payman, says the arrival of the Danish-flagged tanker Torm Emilie in Kwinana overnight, with around 69,000 tonnes of diesel refined in India, exposes a serious gap in Australia’s sanctions and energy-security settings.
India’s Mangalore refinery, which produced the shipment, is reported to use Russian crude oil as feedstock, effectively allowing sanctioned oil to enter Australia in refined form.
Senator Payman said the loophole undercuts both Australia’s sanctions on Russia and the nation’s long-term transition goals.
“We can’t claim to sanction Russian oil while still importing fuel that may have been refined from it,” Senator Payman said.
“This exposes not just a moral failing, but a strategic one,” she said.
“Australia must secure its own clean energy future — from renewable-powered refining to domestic fuel resilience — so we aren’t left exposed to global shocks or questionable supply chains.”
Senator Payman is calling for a Clean Energy Sovereignty Strategy, centred on:
- Developing renewable-powered fuel refining and manufacturing hubs in Western Australia and beyond;
- Tightening import rules to close the Russian fuel loophole;
- Supporting local clean-energy jobs and regional industry; and
- Building long-term transition security for transport and critical supply lines.
“Western Australia can lead Australia’s shift to clean, sovereign energy production,” Senator Payman said.
“Let’s make sure the fuel used in our trucks, trains and emergency services is produced sustainably, ethically, and right here at home.
“And let’s make sure that the diesel we buy isn’t also helping to power Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
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