Fuel shortage: why the situation should improve this week in Île-de-France

As a result of the social crisis that the country is going through, Île-de-France is struggling to obtain fuel supplies. According to the latest count made by Le Figaro, between 52.6% and 22.5% of service stations lack at least one product in the region. Super unleaded is particularly concerned. The president of the union of oil companies, Olivier Gantois, reported Monday evening to AFP that the lack of lead-free in Île-de-France constitutes for the time being “a hard point“. According to him, on the diesel, there is “no more problems than elsewhere we are in the 9, 10% (out of stations), on the other hand, in unleaded, we are between a third and half of stations which lack lead-free“.

Despite this observation, the fuel logistics specialist wants to believe in an improvement during the week. An observation more or less shared by Francis Pousse, representative of service stations, who “hope that the situation in Île-de-France will improve“. Francis Pousse warns, however, that it is impossible for us to return to a supply level for stations close to 0 at the end of the week. “If we find in Paris and around a level of shortage close to the national average, which is currently around 11%, it will already be very good“, he insisted. This objective is largely achievable, according to him, provided that the blockages do not worsen in the days to come.

“Not at a normal level”

For now, the shipment and production of fuels are still very disrupted in half of the country’s six conventional refineries. The others resumed a more or less normal rhythm. “If most refineries occasionally deliver fuel, we are not at a normal and constant level of shipments“, notes Francis Pousse. These deficits in the supply chains are compensated by the use of imports and strategic and commercial stocks. “The strike against the pension reform began when fuel stocks were full, which was not at all the case during the previous strike in the refineries, in the autumn“recalls Francis Pousse.

The professional argues that the fuel sector has learned lessons from the severe shortages of last fall. “From every crisis we learn“, he philosophizes. “The whole logistics system takes enormous effort, especially the carriers, but it always takes a little time to reboot the machine“, adds Francis Pousse. Fuel transport companies, which provide last-mile logistics with their tankers, do not have the human resources necessary to meet demand exacerbated by shortages. “We don’t have the arms to run 10 to 20% more trucks in Île-de-France these days“, regrets Francis Pousse.