PostedJuly 22, 2022, 7:56 PM
Switzerland will tap into its reservesDrought makes oil supply much more complicated
Climatic and social conditions cause lower deliveries of black gold. The Confederation has decided to use its stocks.
No water, no deliveries; no deliveries, no oil.
20min/Michael Scherrer
When water is scarce, oil can only come to us in smaller quantities. As noted by the Federal Office for Economic Supply (OFAE) on Friday, “the drop in the record water level on the Rhine” has deleterious consequences for maritime trade. The cargo ships cannot be as heavy as usual and “the loading capacity of the ships had to be reduced drastically”, says the OFAE.
But that’s not all. “Cross-border rail traffic is affected by massive cancellations and delays due to a lack of staff and works,” adds Bern. Do not panic, however, Switzerland has stored resources and has decided to draw on them.
It’s not a first
“In order to guarantee the supply of petroleum products, the OFAE has decided to temporarily reduce the mandatory reserves of petroleum products by 245,000 cubic meters until the beginning of September 2022.
This quantity corresponds to around 6.5% of all the compulsory reserves set by the Confederation or around 25% of monthly sales”, explains the Office, which recalls that such an operation had already been carried out during the drought. of 2018.
(ywe)
