The Morrison Government has today announced that it has struck an agreement with fertiliser manufacturer Incitec Pivot to secure local production of refined urea for the supply of the diesel exhaust fluid AdBlue.

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the move will keep the trucking industry moving and Australian diesel motorists on the road.

Under the agreement, Incitec Pivot will rapidly design, trial and, on completion of successful tests, scale-up manufacturing of significant quantities of Technical Grade Granular Urea (TGU), a critical component of AdBlue.

Incitec Pivot will supply quantities as needed by current suppliers.

AdBlue is used in modern diesel engines to control nitrogen oxide pollutants including in trucks, large passenger buses, mining equipment and agricultural vehicles.

Me Taylor said the announcement was a step in the right direction and provides the trucking industry with certainty.

“Australia currently has adequate stocks of AdBlue stock on hand, but this agreement with Incitec Pivot will enable domestic production of TGU or supply of an AdBlue product to domestic manufacturers to ensure current supply chain disruptions don’t impact on Australian businesses,” Minister Taylor said.

“The ramping up of production by Incitec Pivot will be done without impacting agricultural fertiliser supply to local farmers or disrupting local distribution chains for AdBlue.

“This agreement is another important part of the Government’s broader strategy to build supply chain resilience, which includes addressing shipping issues, ensuring local supplies of critical products and bolstering local manufacturing capability.”

Boosting our local capabilities will be complemented by the ongoing work to secure additional supplies from international sources, to ensure we are prepared for any contingency.

Following outreach from Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan our embassy in Jakarta has confirmed with the Indonesian Government that we accept their offer to provide 5,000 tonnes of refined urea in January. This is enough urea to make around an additional month’s worth of AdBlue.

Minister Tehan said Australia is leveraging our strong relationships with our international partners to open up new sources of supply to meet our future needs for refined urea.

“By working closely with our partners, we have been able to secure this critical supply for Australia. We will continue to strengthen our close relationships around the world to support and further Australia’s interests,” Minister Tehan said.

The Government has been working with the manufacturers and the shipping companies to ensure shipments of urea and AdBlue that are already on their way to Australia to ensure they get priority for loading and delivery.

“Shipping companies have been helpful in prioritising the loading of a number of containers coming through Singapore to ensure that supplies arrive in Australia as soon as possible. I would like to thank those companies that have supported and offered support to this effort,” Minister Taylor said.

This builds on work already underway by the AdBlue taskforce, led by James Fazzino, Chair of Manufacturing Australia and former CEO of Incitec Pivot, along with Andrew Liveris, former Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company and Director at Saudi Aramco, and Dr Cathy Foley, Australia’s Chief Scientist.

The Government has also engaged the National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) to ensure there is a joined-up approach and ongoing information sharing between government agencies and industry. The next NCM meeting with industry stakeholders will be held later today.

The Government also notes that industry have raised concerns about high price of AdBlue in some areas. The Government understands that some pricing pressures may be normal in this situation, but expects suppliers to give customers a fair deal on AdBlue.

But there’s still work to do, Trucking Association warns