Fuel shortage: which departments are most affected?

Margaux Fodéré, with AFP 18:31 p.m., March 27, 2023

More than 15% of France gas stations ran out of petrol or diesel on Monday, the shortage being even more pronounced in the west of the country and in particular in Loire-Atlantique, where more than half of the stations are affected, according to data analyzed by AFP. In total, 15.7% of France service stations are short of at least one of the fuels (petrol and/or diesel) they offered on March 1, according to AFP's analysis of data from the government fuel price website. Among them, 7.4% are dry following mobilizations in refineries against the pension reform.

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55% of stations lack at least one fuel in Loire-Atlantique

The most affected department remains Loire-Atlantique, with 55.06% of resorts in shortage of at least one fuel. Other departments in the West are also very affected (Mayenne, Ille-et-Vilaine, Maine-et-Loire, all above 40% of stations in shortage). The South also remains strongly affected, including the Bouches-du-Rhône with more than 40%, and several other departments with more than 30%.

The energy sector - gas, oil, electricity - has remained particularly mobilized since 19 January against the reform, approved in parliament by the procedure of article 49.3. At this stage, two of the seven refineries continue to produce in France, that of Esso-Exxon-Mobil of Fos-sur-Mer in the Bouches-du-Rhône and that of TotalEnergies of Feyzin in the Rhône, which runs "in service at reduced flow", according to the group's management.

Shipments still blocked at Port-Jérôme-Gravenchon refinery

This weekend, the Port-Jérôme-Gravenchon refinery (Esson-ExxonMobil) - whose shipments are still blocked - was shut down, failing to be supplied with crude oil due to the continuation of the strike movement at the Compagnie industrielle maritime (CIM), on the oil depot of Le Havre. The TotalEnergies refinery known as "Normandy", in Gonfreville-L'Orcher in Seine-Maritime, is also at a standstill, said the group's management.

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After requisitions Friday of employees to replenish the Ile-de-France fuel, including kerosene for its airports, "shipments had to stop again," said Monday Eric Sellini, CGT coordinator at TotalEnergies. The bio-refinery of La Mède and the refinery of Donges operated by the oil group are stopped for reasons other than the strike.