Complications with oil deliveries: PCK refinery Schwedt is unlikely to be threatened with a supply gap

Germany has not used Russian oil since the beginning of the year. The refinery in Schwedt was an important port of call for imports. In order to compensate for the losses, the oil should come from two other countries in the future.

After a long-planned overhaul at the PCK refinery in Schwedt, Brandenburg, in the spring, the Federal Ministry of Economics is hoping for higher capacity utilization. According to his own words, State Secretary Michael Kellner sees no imminent supply gap. “The goal must be that when the revision is completed towards the summer (…) the owners have the highest possible occupancy rate in Schwedt,” said the Green politician after a special meeting of a PCK working group in Potsdam. That is also in the hands of the owners, Kellner added.

The federal government will continue to support talks so that the corresponding oil quantities do not only come via Rostock. After the embargo on Russian oil, the raw material also flows from Gda?sk. In addition, quantities are to come from Kazakhstan. Revisions take place again and again without there being any difficulties in supply, said Kellner.

Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke was skeptical overall. “If I were satisfied, I would not have invited the task force to a special meeting,” said the SPD politician. There are a number of reasons why the refinery’s utilization rate is 58 to 59 percent. “However, more could be obtained at the moment,” said Woidke, with a view to the fact that some possible oil deliveries via Gdansk are not being used by PCK due to the planned revision.

His economics minister, Jörg Steinbach, added that reliable supply contracts via Gdansk had to be secured as quickly as possible. “That must be the stated goal.” The Polish port has a central role for Schwedt after the embargo on Russian oil, which came into effect at the beginning of the year.

The change in the ownership structure is therefore considered the key to permanently integrating Poland. Because Shell, as the second largest owner, also wants to sell its shares. German companies such as Enertrag and Verbio or Alcmene are also interested in entering Schwedt.

Kellner did not comment on a “Handelsblatt” report, according to which the oil company Hoyer from Lower Saxony is also said to be interested in joining PCK. The Federal Ministry of Economics wants to expand the possibilities for selling energy companies in trust management, such as with PCK. Kellner said he hopes the law will be in place by May.

The federal government has now paved the way for a quick sale of Rosneft’s shares with a new draft law. Shares in companies that are under trusteeship should be able to be transferred directly in the future. A previous nationalization with high hurdles is therefore no longer necessary. The law is to be passed by the federal cabinet in March and come into force in May. So this would be at the end of the maintenance work in Schwedt. The law could be helpful with the shareholder structure, said Kellner.

Since this year, Germany has stopped importing Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Schwedt. The refinery is important for supplying Berlin and Brandenburg with fuel. The federal government had placed two subsidiaries of the Russian oil company Rosneft under state control.