- The Federal Office for National Economic Supply (BWL) has allowed the compulsory stocks of petrol, diesel and heating oil to fall below the target stock by 6.5 percent.
- The reasons for this are the low level of the Rhine and logistical problems with the foreign railways.
- The replenishment of mineral oil products in Switzerland is impaired.
The measure applies from next Monday to the beginning of September, as the BWL announced on Friday. Although there are sufficient petroleum products on the international market, they can only be transported into the country to a limited extent.
With the decision of the BWL, the mineral oil compulsory stocks can fall below their minimum stock by 245,000 cubic meters by the beginning of September. This corresponds to 6.5 percent of the total mandatory stockpile of petroleum products prescribed by the federal government or 27 percent of one month’s sales.
The last undercut in the summer of 2018
The last fall below the mandatory stockpile quantity for mineral oil products dates from the also very dry summer of 2018. Even then, transport on the Rhine was only possible to a limited extent.
Legend:
Switzerland obtains petroleum products from abroad primarily via the railways and the Rhine. Inland, there is also the refinery in Cressier NE. This refinery is the only petroleum producer in Switzerland.
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