As if the gas crisis wasn’t enough: after the accident at the beginning of June, the OMV refinery in Schwechat is still not able to fully deliver. There are production losses – and diesel could be in short supply right now.
It’s June 4, 2018, “Golden Wedding” at the Hofburg – 50 years of close collaboration between Gazprom and OMV. The Russian State Ballet is dancing. In addition to local politicians, the German ex-chancellor and Putin friend Gerhard Schröder also danced. Vladimir Putin is also in Vienna. A fateful affair, as we now know. OMV is under pressure. With her, the entire Republic of Austria is hugely dependent on Russia.
Deliveries have been delayed since the accident
June 2022: accident at an oil factory in Schwechat. Quiet politicians and companies. Everything is under control. But insiders reveal something else. The repairs are seriously delayed. And there are bottlenecks in diesel deliveries. On request, the group also admits this: a full restart is only possible in the second half of the third quarter. “The market situation is tense. There are production losses.” In addition, Europe is dependent on diesel imports. Therefore, there are restrictions on fill quantities and pricing rules. That does not sound well. Certainly not for the many commuters.
The ÖBB (Rail Cargo) has to source the material from abroad (mainly Germany and Slovenia) – 500 trains so far. Normally, nine million tons of crude oil enters through pipelines. Everyone wants the scarce good. This can get expensive.
Political entanglements and payment guarantees
Experts such as former OMV boss Gerhard Roiss say about the “Krone” that alternatives should have been sought a long time ago. Roiss (active from 2011 to 2014) wanted to minimize dependence on Russian gas. He relied on Norway as a safe core region. The government is now doing the same, after allowing itself to be embraced by Russia again after the Roiss era.
In addition, OMV has provided payment guarantees from the start, calling for the state, which owns 31.5% of OMV, to withdraw completely from the energy giant. Given the political entanglements with Putin and its consequences, this is certainly worth discussing.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
