Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Germany takes control of 3 Russian-owned oil refineries

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) speaks at the 2022 Bundeswehr Conference in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Germany is taking control of three Russian-owned refineries in the country to ensure energy security before an embargo on oil from Russia takes effect next year. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) speaks at the 2022 Bundeswehr Conference in Berlin, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Germany is taking control of three Russian-owned refineries in the country to ensure energy security before an embargo on oil from Russia takes effect next year. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)
Share
BERLIN -

Germany is taking control of three Russian-owned refineries in the country to ensure energy security before an embargo on oil from Russia takes effect next year, officials said Friday.

Two subsidiaries of Russian oil giant Rosneft -- Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH -- will be put under the administration of Germany's Federal Network Agency, the Economy Ministry said in a statement.

As a result, the agency will also control the companies' shares in the refineries PCK Schwedt, MiRo and Bayernoil, located in the east and south of Germany.

"This is a far-reaching energy policy decision to protect our country," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. "We've long known that Russia isn't a reliable supplier of energy anymore."

"With today's decision, we're ensuring that Germany is supplied with oil in the medium- and long-term as well," Scholz said. "That is particularly true for the Schwedt refinery."

The facility provides petroleum products to much of northeastern Germany, including Berlin.

Rosneft accounts for about 12% of Germany's oil refining capacity, importing oil worth several hundred million euros (dollars) every month, the ministry said.

It said the move would help ensure continued energy supplies and was initially due to last for six months.

Rosneft had previously made clear it had no intention to stop imports of oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs from Russia through Ukraine to refineries in central Europe, despite a looming EU embargo coming into force on Jan 1, 2023.

Scholz said a 1-billion-euro (dollar) aid package would secure jobs for about 1,200 people currently working at the PCK refinery in Schwedt and help with its long-term transformation as part of the transition toward a green economy.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the refinery would in the future receive oil through a pipeline from the port city of Rostock and via neighboring Poland, which had refused to provide supplies as long as there was a risk that Rosneft might profit from them.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected