Cressier stopped, petrol guaranteed by stocks (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• Cressier refinery shut down this week due to technical failure
• Covers 30% of Switzerland's gasoline, diesel, and kerosene needs
• Federal mandatory reserves ensure continuity of supply

Key facts

• What: Technical shutdown of the Cressier refinery in the canton of Neuchâtel
• When: Current week, likely to continue into the next week
• Where: Cressier, canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
• Who: FOAG (Federal Office for National Economic Supply)
• Importance: The plant covers 30% of the national demand for petroleum products
• Annual production: Approximately 3 million tons of gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and other derivatives
• Guarantee: Mandatory reserves equivalent to about 4.5 months of average demand for gasoline and diesel

According to the Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FOAG), the supply of gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum products remains guaranteed in Switzerland despite the shutdown of the Cressier refinery in the canton of Neuchâtel, caused by a technical failure. The plant had to stop production this week and is likely to remain out of service next week as well. The severity of the situation is highlighted by the fact that the refinery covers just over 30 percent of Switzerland's demand for petroleum products.

The pillar of Swiss supply

Cressier, since the closure of the Collombey refinery in 2015, is the only oil refinery still in operation in Switzerland. Each year, it produces approximately three million tons of gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, and other petroleum products. The crude oil arrives in Cressier via a pipeline from the Mediterranean port of Fos-sur-Mer, located near Marseille in France. The rest of Switzerland's demand is largely covered by already refined petroleum products imported from abroad through international commercial channels.

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Operational details

Mandatory stocks: the national security buffer

The Confederation is not unprepared in the face of shortage scenarios. The mandatory stocks of gasoline and diesel, accumulated in peacetime according to federal economic protection directives, basically correspond to the average requirement of about four and a half months for each product. Should temporary shortfalls loom, targeted withdrawal from these strategic reserves could effectively support the market and fill any gaps in supply. In other words, the inhabitants of Switzerland have a safety belt designed exactly for critical situations such as this: a stationary refinery, a compromised main transport route, and the need for energy continuity.

The Lesson of 2015: When the System Worked

A similar precedent had already occurred in 2015, eleven years ago. On thatoccasion, Cressier's refinery was shut down for several weeks due to a technical failure. At the same time, the low level of the Rhine made it difficult to import petroleum products by river, creating an even more critical situation than at present. The Confederation then decided to release the compulsory stocks, thus guaranteeing the continuity of supply without interruptions in the civil and industrial sectors, from households to public transport, up to manufacturing companies and hospital services.

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Key points

How the mandatory stock mechanism works

Mandatory stocks of petroleum products are not a virtual resource: they are physically stored in refineries, port terminals, and specialized depots strategically distributed across the Swiss national territory. Each fuel supplier and distributor is legally obliged to maintain sufficient reserves to ensure supply continuity in case of crisis. When an emergency occurs—such as a failure of a critical plant, disruption of transport lines, geopolitical crisis, or drought that blocks rivers—the AEP authorizes the coordinated withdrawal from these strategic reserves. The process is rapid: federal authorities, in direct contact with storage facility managers, order the gradual release of stocks to maintain the balance between supply and demand in the national market.

What changes for Swiss citizens and businesses

For the average citizen and small and medium-sized Swiss businesses, the shutdown of Cressier does not entail any immediate change in daily life. Fuel pumps will continue to operate normally in the coming days, gasoline and diesel prices will not experience sudden and sharp fluctuations (unless further unforeseen external complications arise), and car tanks can be filled without quantity restrictions. The situation is therefore under control by the federal authorities. The only theoretical warning: if the situation were to degenerate into a prolonged crisis—a scenario that federal authorities intend to avoid precisely thanks to the existence of mandatory stocks—then Sunday driving bans or fuel rationing could become relevant, extreme measures but provided for in the federal legislation on the economic supply of the country.

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