Adrian Willig doesn't want to be too specific.

The general manager of the Fuels and Energy Association, which represents the oil companies in Germany, speaks of a "logistical challenge".

The temporary reduction in the energy tax on fuel, also known as the “tank discount”, will end in Germany next Thursday.

In the days before, the association speculates, many drivers will want to fill up quickly and cheaply.

After all, the higher tax alone will make diesel around 17 cents more expensive per liter, and Super E10 even 35 cents more.

At least Willig did not want to rule out the possibility that “in individual cases” petrol stations could also run empty, as was recently observed in isolated cases as a result of the low water level in the Rhine in southern Germany.

Christian Siedenbiedel

Editor in Business.

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There are currently various challenges to security of supply, Willig explained.

The low water level in the Rhine has multiplied transport costs, while there are bottlenecks on the rails and also among tanker drivers.

Refineries would have planned and unplanned shutdowns.

In the case of diesel, it is also noticeable that companies are buying heating oil to replace natural gas;

However, heating oil and diesel were closely related in production.

And on top of all this, there is now the expected higher demand due to the end of the tank discount.

The oil companies defended themselves against the accusation that they had exploited the crisis and pocketed the tank rebate.

After three months, it can be said that the tax cut had been "extensively" passed on to drivers, said Willig, citing, among other things, relevant studies by the Ifo Institute.

The association believes that the wrong impression was created at the beginning of the three months because the world market prices for petrol and diesel – this market should be distinguished from that for crude oil – had risen shortly before.

However, Willig did not deny that refinery revenues had increased significantly at times, albeit not for all refineries.

In some cases, however, production costs have also risen, such as the price of electricity: "In addition, the refineries are coming from several difficult years."

Willig said it was good that the Federal Cartel Office was taking a closer look at the market at the refinery and wholesale level: "We also want clarity." The companies had "of course supplied the Cartel Office with the documents requested".

One does not want to anticipate the authority's decision, but one wants to comment on two points: The media recently spoke of so-called "oligopoly regions", such as Saarland, where there are only comparatively few petrol stations.

"The Saarland was recently one of the cheapest tank regions in Germany," said Willig.

The so-called "vertical integration", i.e. the interlocking of refineries and gas station chains, was also recently discussed in connection with the cartel office investigations.

"It is necessary to determine

that, in our opinion, this in particular has decreased in recent years," said Willig.

"Meanwhile there are many refineries in Germany whose owners do not operate filling stations - this is completely different than 20 years ago."