Switzerland has authorised the release of up to 30m litres of jet fuel from compulsory stocks over the next fortnight to avert a shortage at Zurich airport. The volume represents 6.5% of the country’s aviation-fuel reserves.
The release of reserves was approved after disruptions to river and rail freight threatened deliveries. The main bottleneck is on rail routes from Germany, where severe delays and cancellations have interrupted fuel supplies.
Low water on the Rhine has compounded the problem. Barges must carry smaller loads, and some services have been cancelled. Freight has consequently shifted to an already congested railway network.
Airlines have yet to feel the effects. Flag carrier Swiss has experienced no disruption to aircraft refuelling and faced no restrictions at Zurich airport. The same was true at Geneva airport.
The transport problems come amid wider pressure on fuel supplies linked to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Crude oil remains sufficient on world markets despite attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, but refining capacity there is scarce, according to Reuters. Refineries in the Gulf are not yet fully operational, while Ukrainian attacks may have affected about half of Russia’s refining capacity. Russia is a major supplier of diesel and jet fuel. The EU banned imports of Russian refined petroleum products, however, Russian refinery disruption adds pressure to the wider fuel market.
The International Energy Agency has urged its members to release some reserves to help prevent further shortages.
Supplies of other fuels in Switzerland are also under strain. Federal figures show that the availability of petrol, diesel and heating oil has worsened since the previous week, though supplies remain secure nationwide.
As a landlocked country dependent on imports, Switzerland maintains compulsory stocks of essential goods to cushion supply disruptions. The government sets the goods and quantities to be held; private companies own and maintain the stocks.
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