Six months after the end of oil deliveries from Russia, the PCK management intends to submit the funding application for upgrading the pipeline from Rostock to Schwedt in July. This emerges from a response from the Federal Ministry of Economics to a parliamentary question from the left in the Bundestag, which is available to the German Press Agency. The “Märkische Allgemeine” had previously reported on it. The federal government wants to finance the refinery’s pipeline, but the EU must agree to the aid for a private company.
The management of the PCK refinery is still in a coordination process with the owners about an updated list of necessary upgrading projects with a view to the pipeline, port and refinery, the department said. “According to information from the PCK management, this list of measures and an application for funding should be submitted to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) in mid-July,” it said in response to the request.
The shareholder Shell had already said: “We support the application. We are working closely with PCK to submit the application for state aid to the federal government.”
Old oil pipeline as an important supply route
The old oil pipeline from Rostock to Schwedt has been an important supply route for the PCK refinery since the beginning of the year. Since the capacities on this line have so far been limited, it is to be upgraded for 400 million euros. According to its managing director Ralf Schairer, the refinery actually wanted to submit the necessary application for aid by the end of May. Now the funding application should be on the table of the Federal Ministry in July.
Left-wing member of the Bundestag Christian Görke criticized the delay. He assumes that a pipeline upgrade will not be possible before 2026. It is difficult to justify why the state and thus the taxpayers should upgrade a privately owned pipeline with up to 400 million euros, Görke told the dpa. Because of the uncertainties, both the left and PCK are in favor of a new building, parallel to the old pipeline. The union rejects it.
Two German subsidiaries of the Russian oil company Rosneft are PCK majority owners. They are under federal trusteeship. Possible changes of ownership are already being discussed. Shell Germany and Eni Germany also have stakes in the refinery.
