The Territory has a new growth industry creating hundreds of jobs

There’s dollars and jobs flowing into the Northern Territory from a surprise new boom industry. See what it is.

Work on the $270m Crowley Bulk Fuel Storage facility is approaching the halfway mark, with all 11 tanks under construction at the East Arm site.

Part of a broader US Defence Force plan to decentralise the nation’s bulk fuel storage facilities, new fuel-storage tanks are popping up across the Territory.

Fuel-storage tanks are a new Territory growth industry – with at least three other projects underway or on the drawing board.

The largest fuel farm in the Territory when completed, the job must be done by September 15 2023 to meet the tight construction timeline.

Australian engineering company Saunders International is building the tanks with majority local workforce and overwhelming Australian content.

Nicole Manison with members of the Crowley tank farm construction team

Site work began in December and construction in April, with up to 200 jobs created on site.

Richard McAllister, Crowley Darwin’s project director, said the project is on track for the tight deadline date.

“It’s around 70 per cent Darwin workforce that we’ve had on site and the remainder are predominantly Australian,” he said. “The materials are 95 per cent Australian, our steel is manufactured in Wyalla and other components are provided locally.

“It’s an impressive feat that five months later we’ve got the tanks essentially half constructed on site and we expect that come July, the thank infrastructure and all the pipelines will be in place.

“Then we’ll start a process of what we call wet commissioning and dry commissioning to ensure that the facility works appropriately.”

Aerial images of the half completed East Arm tank farm being built by Crowley

With capacity of 300m litres of aviation fuel, the contents inside are stable and safe.

“The fuel tanks are built to world’s best practice standards, the spacing’s appropriate for the types of fuels that are within. The fuels here are more distillates than typical petroleum fuel so they have a lower flashpoint. It’s a very safe facility in that sense.

“The tanks were contracted by the Defence Logistics Agency out of the US. It’s here ostensibly as storage should strategic need require. The majority of the fuel to be stored here is for strategic purposes.”

Aerial images of the half completed East Arm tank farm being built by Crowley

Ms Manison said the project is important beyond providing local jobs and businesses.

“This is here to support the defence operations of the US and is a US funded project,” she said. It’s sending a message out to those that are looking to make defence investments that we have the local workforce and the capability here to deliver the big projects.

“The Northern Territory is becoming an increasingly important place for defence investments. We know we have an important strategic role in the Asia-Pacific and in the defence of our nation.”

As well as the East Arm tanks, two eight-million litre tanks are under construction at RAAF Darwin, three at Tindal RAAF Base and Airport Development Group will begin work next year on a $60m, 80m litre diesel storage facility and fuel pipeline at East Arm.