The Australian government must take immediate action to guarantee Australia’s supply of AdBlue, following a disappointing roundtable on the issue today.
That was the call from ATA chair David Smith, who was one of 60 key stakeholders and government officials, who met to discuss a solution to the looming crisis.
Smith said there needs to be more transparency about the supply and demand for AdBlue, both now and for the next six months.
“In today’s roundtable, we were told there was no need to panic about the supply of AdBlue, but no-one was prepared to back this assurance up with any numbers about AdBlue supply,” said Smith.
“The supply of AdBlue is just as important as the supply of fuel. We need transparency about the stocks of material that are in Australia and the ability of suppliers to deliver the AdBlue we need throughout the first half of 2022.
“The Australian Trucking Association has been told that the supply of AdBlue is uncertain beyond February 2022. Some suppliers are in a better position than others.
“We are already seeing suppliers restricting orders or raising prices.
Smith said the ATA will continue to press the government for action and transparency.
“Until we are certain that we can continue delivering the groceries on every supermarket shelf and Australia’s exports to our ports,” Smith concluded.
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark was also in attendance today and said this remains overwhelmingly an issue of supply.
“While we are heartened that the government is attempting to find an alternative source of urea other than China, we are waiting to hear what definitive action it will take to address shortages in the immediate term,” said Clark.
“We are also concerned that the picture remains blurry regarding how much diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is currently in the supply chain. We will continue to engage the government and await advice on this critical point.
Clark said that NatRoad is most concerned that small operators and owner-drivers will be hit hardest by the DEF shortfall, as they have no capacity to store reasonable reserves.
A spokesperson for Angus Taylor, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, told Big Rigs that the government is working closely with industry to understand current disruptions in the global market for urea.
“We currently have sufficient volume in Australia to meet our needs, and are working with industry and across government to ensure we continue to have robust, resilient supply chains of essential goods,” said the spokesperson.