Fuel: how will the release of French strategic diesel stocks change?
To lower fuel prices, the government has ordered the release of strategic stocks. This exceptional measure will be felt almost immediately at service stations.
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The government promises it. Diesel prices will decrease next week. We could count on a reduction of up to 18 cents thanks to the release of strategic stocks.
Ten million barrels of diesel will be put on the market. It is a complex operation which will begin this Sunday. These volumes of fuel will be sold to distributors by SAGESS.
It is the company that manages strategic stocks. It has 90 sites across the country, in depots, refineries and even underground, in Manosque, in the south of France. It is the largest storage site with several million cubic meters of underground capacity.
SAGESS therefore received an injunction from the government yesterday to sell 10 million barrels of diesel over three months. These strategic stocks built up before the war in the Middle East will have to be sold at the price of the time, that is to say approximately four times cheaper than today. So, according to the Ministry of the Economy, motorists should notice this from Sunday or Monday depending on the stations.
40 million barrels throughout the European market The objective is a reduction of 12 to 18 cents per liter of diesel compared to the price which should have normally been charged. For its part, Total Energies announces a reduction of 10 cents on diesel from tomorrow, or 2 euros and 15 cents per liter in the 700 Access stations in its network. Stations will not have to wait to receive these fuel stocks to change their prices.
They can do this as soon as the sales contract is concluded. For the sake of transparency, they will have to display at the pump the price of a liter of diesel, but also the rebate that has been applied. Note that these price reductions must also concern non-road diesel and domestic fuel oil intended for heating.
Forty million barrels in total will be placed on the European market. These are exceptional measures. In France, this is the first time that such stocks have been released to have an effect on prices.
These strategic stocks are primarily intended to be used in the event of a shortage. They will therefore have to be replenished at a time when prices have returned to normal levels.
Machine-translated from French
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- Franceinfo30 Oct, 16:44
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