Fuel shortage in Alsace: nearly three in ten stations without petrol

Drivers in eastern France are facing a localised but intense petrol shortage, as some departments saw nearly 30% of service stations run out of certain fuel types over the weekend.

The shortage mainly affects SP95 and SP98, the most common types of unleaded petrol in France.

Departments with the highest stockout rates of the fuel on Sunday (August 16) included Bas-Rhin (29.0%), Haut-Rhin (28.1%), Territoire de Belfort (27.8%), Vosges (20.5%), and Haute-Saône (17.9%). 

Nationwide, 653 out of 9,804 stations were out of unleaded petrol on Sunday evening, an overall stockout rate of 6.7%.

Both petrol and diesel (gazole) prices have seen slight increases in the last week, as continued tensions in the Middle East keep fears over further fuel shortages fresh in the mind of governments and drivers alike. 

France’s €100 fuel aid for those who use their car for work/commuting remains open until August 31. 

Droughts cause shortage

Unlike other shortages in recent years, due largely to geopolitical tensions, spikes in oil prices, or strike action, this one is perhaps surprisingly caused by the record drought affecting France and other locations in Europe. 

While departments in the west and south of France see stocks supplied by massive domestic petrol production sites (or otherwise imported into major ports), eastern departments obtain much of their fuel from neighbouring countries such as Germany.

Petrol arriving via Germany (which is typically imported from several other sources and not produced domestically in the country) can often be cheaper for Alsatian stations to buy and stock than if it were transported from facilities in western France, due to the shorter transport distances required.

Major droughts have severely reduced water levels across major rivers including the Rhine this summer, limiting the amount of goods that ships can carry up and down waterways.

Vessels transporting fuel have been hit hard in particular, with some only authorised to carry around 20% of their usual load. 

This has left stations facing dwindling supplies as their typical refill routes are limited. 

This is also why departments elsewhere in France are almost completely untouched by shortages, which as of the start of the week remain a localised issue in the east. 

Diesel supplies remain relatively unaffected – as France imports most of its diesel, suppliers generally spread this across the country more evenly than petrol, which is produced domestically and therefore sees certain areas have easier access to supplies.

Conditions should however ease at the start of the week after authorities approved exceptional measures across the weekend allowing fuel-carrying tankers to run on French roads between 22:00 on Friday - 22:00 Sunday (August 14 - 16). 

These vehicles are typically banned from driving overnight and on weekends. 

The measures however should have allowed additional supplies to be brought in from departments further west. 

You can find live information on fuel prices as well as shortages in France on the official government comparison website.