Petrol or diesel shortages affect almost 20 % of French stations, in repercussion of strikes in Totalenergies refineries.
Le Monde
The government is looking for solutions to fuel supply problems which affect a large part of France, in particular due to strikes in Totalnergies refineries. A decree published on Saturday October 8 at Official Journal exceptionally authorizes trucks over 7.5 tonnes carrying hydrocarbons, which are usually stopped on weekends, to circulate Saturday, Sunday and Monday to petroleum deposits as well as distribution points and customers finals, “considering tensions on the fuel supply noted on the national territory”.
pressure on totalnergies
Friday, President, Emmanuel Macron, launched an “call for calm” towards motorists and to the “responsibility” of unions and the management of petroleum groups in social conflict.
The government has put pressure on petroleum groups, as total, of which the largest refinery, near Le Havre, as well as several deposits are on strike, or Esso Exxonmobil, two refineries are stopped of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT). “I call the companies concerned, which, for the most part, still have good results, also to consider demands for increasing wages,” Olivia Grégoire said on Friday, without namely totaling Totalnergies and its 10.6 billion Dollars of profit in the first half.
A fifth of the stations in “difficulty” Friday
The strikers’ blockages lead to a drop in fuel deliveries, the service stations are therefore more often out of stock of petrol or diesel. Totalnergies manages almost a third of French stations.
The situation particularly affects the north of France and the Paris region. Friday at midday, “19 % of service stations” in France “experienced difficulties on a product at least”, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition, which evoked “in Ile-de-France a stable situation at 25 % of stations having a difficulty on at least one product “. In Pas-de-Calais, 42 % of the stations were affected on Friday, and 43 % in the North, according to the Minister of Energy Transition.