BERLIN/SCHWEDT (dpa-AFX) - In the debate about oil supplies also from Kazakhstan for the PCK refinery in Schwedt, Germany, the Federal Ministry of Economics has rejected criticism. According to a statement Friday, Christian Görke, a Brandenburg member of the Bundestag for the Left Party, said the federal government was not seriously interested in supplying the refinery with Kazakh oil. He accused the government of inaction and called for a special session of the Bundestag Committee on Energy and Climate Protection. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology said in response to a question on Friday, "That the federal government is not holding talks, as claimed, is simply false."
According to the German government's knowledge, several companies are currently conducting negotiations with Kazakh companies with the aim of supplying the PCK refinery with crude oil of Kazakh origin via pipeline. The negotiations are already very concrete and advanced, he said. "Contracts are made in principle by the companies." The negotiations are receiving ongoing support from the German government, the ministry said, referring to delegation trips and a meeting between the Kazakh foreign minister and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens). PCK had reserved corresponding capacities for Kazakh oil in the pipeline system from January. The ministry did not comment on delivery quantities.
Görke, who himself had held talks in Kazakhstan, criticized: "Despite the openness of the Kazakhs, nothing is on the gift table to this day, seven days before the unilateral embargo, although Kazakhstan is willing and able to put together a large package with five to six million tons of Kazakh oil per year for Schwedt."
Because of the Ukraine war, Germany will be doing without Russian oil from pipelines starting in January. That will affect the PCK refinery in Schwedt in Brandenburg. PCK has been supplied with Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline for decades. The refinery supplies fuel to large parts of the northeast. According to the German Ministry of Economics, the refinery will operate at a good 70 percent of its capacity in the future thanks to deliveries via the Polish port of Gdansk. In addition, Kazakh oil is to be added to further increase capacity utilization./mow/DP/mis
