Queensland announced a A$25 million investment in a biodiesel project that will start production in 2028, aiming to cut the state's dependence on imported fuel. The move comes as the region seeks to shield itself from global supply disruptions triggered by the Middle East conflict. The funding, roughly $18 million, will enable a local refinery to produce 20 million litres of biodiesel annually, equivalent to 2,000 tons, and about 125,000 barrels of crude, a fraction of Australia's daily oil consumption. The project is part of a broader strategy to diversify energy sources amid a severe supply crunch. "These projects are important to ensure we are never again left at the mercy of foreign nations at the end of a global supply chain," Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said, underscoring the urgency of diversifying fuel sources. Earlier this month, Queensland also urged Australia's federal government to fast-track the approval of the Taroom Trough project, which would see the first new oil development project in the country in 50 years. The Queensland state government threw its support behind the Taroom Trough project for oil extraction at a site west of Brisbane and calls on the federal government to assess the development plan under the National Interest Fast-Track Assessment Pathway. The first barrels of oil from the Taroom Trough are now making their way into the domestic fuel supply with Shell producing 200 barrels of crude oil a day, which is being refined at iOR's Eromanga refinery, and produced into diesel. Diesel is critical for the Australian economy because of the country's large farming industry that relies on the fuel. The Queensland government's latest moves to secure fuel supply over the longer term indicate it has decided to adopt an all-of-the-above approach, boosting both hydrocarbon production and alternatives such as biodiesel. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com