16% of petrol stations in France face shortages

Some 16% of service stations in France are affected by fuel shortages today (April 2), as ministers point towards the potential implementation of energy saving measures.

Public service broadcaster FranceInfo estimates that 1,600 stations of the 9,800 in France are facing a shortage of one or more fuel types, with some completely out of a certain type of fuel. 

It comes after government spokesperson and Energy Minister Maud Bregeon said to media outlet TF1 on Wednesday (April 1) that less than 10% of stations were suffering shortages, subsequently fact-checked by FranceInfo.

While the stations impacted by shortages vary and are spread across the country, a large number of TotalEnergies-run service stations are impacted. 

Ms Bregeon said around 60% of all impacted stations were TotalEnergies run, and 80% of stations facing diesel shortages were operated by the group.

This is largely due to an increase in drivers heading to these stations to refill, following the announcement that the group’s fuel price cap would continue to at least April 7. 

Fuel prices have continued to climb in recent days, with diesel reaching an all-time record high of €2.25 per litre on average and some petrol types breaking the €2 per litre barrier.

Are energy and fuel restrictions on the way? 

Ms Bregeon played down the risk of wider fuel shortages in France, pointing towards a stock of oil held by the French government.

“We still have our strategic reserves of 100 million barrels. We have committed to gradually releasing 14.5 million barrels to the International Energy Agency. We have not yet reached this target, so we have some leeway and we will respond as needed to any temporary supply difficulties, which are also due to logistical issues,” she said. 

A flood of emergency oil released by International Energy Agency countries in March did little to prevent crude oil prices from increasing.

However, the risk of prolonged disruption due to the conflict in the Middle East and continued impact on global fuel issues means a possibility of future restrictions on fuel usage.

“We must be prepared for a number of measures to save energy,” she said. 

“If even minor supply issues were to arise, then we must be prepared for a number of measures that will save energy consumption, and specifically fuel.” 

She did not give specific examples, but said that each Ministry will be asked to come up with ideas to reduce fuel consumption in their sector to “set an example [that is]... relevant but not unnecessarily restrictive.” 

Certain measures are already in place in several countries across the world. 

In Australia, public transport has been made free in two states (Tasmania and Victoria), and workers are being urged to work from home where possible to reduce vehicle usage. 

Egypt has gone one step further, with at least one work-from-home day required for non-essential workers, and shops, cafes, and restaurants to close at 21:00 to reduce energy consumption. 

Several countries across Asia have asked residents to adopt lifestyle changes such as reducing air conditioning unit temperatures (Thailand) carpool (Vietnam), and mandate private vehicles to operate on alternating days depending on their number plate (Myanmar). 

Italy and the Republic of Ireland have implemented fuel duty cuts to reduce the impact on drivers, while asking people to drive less. 

Slovenia became the first EU country to ration fuel, with a 50 litre per person per day, or 200 litres for business owners and farmers. 

Other ideas floated in countries such as the UK include reduced speed limits to reduce fuel consumption alongside fuel rationing, however these are yet to be implemented.

France’s energy sector is less susceptible to instability as much of the nation’s domestic electric supply is produced by nuclear energy at French-based reactors. 

However, domestic gas contracts are set to rise in May due to the Middle East conflict, and France relies heavily on imported diesel (gazole), which has contributed to rising prices at the pumps.