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PCK refinery: In the long term, the region is to be converted to be climate-friendly
Photo: Annette Riedl / dpa
After the decision for the trusteeship for the PCK refinery in Schwedt, politicians are trying to limit the damage on site.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke of good prospects for the plant at a staff meeting in the Brandenburg city on Friday evening.
The SPD politician had previously presented details of the plans to place the majority owners of PCK, two subsidiaries of the Russian state-owned company Rosneft, under state control with the Social Democratic Prime Minister of Brandenburg, Dietmar Woidke, and the Green Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck.
Scholz announced one billion euros in investments as part of a future package.
The location and the jobs are thus secured.
Nobody in the PCK refinery has to worry about their jobs.
The background is that Schwedt is dependent on the refinery.
The city had fewer than 7,000 inhabitants in the 1950s, but grew to more than 50,000 in the GDR with the rise of the former petrochemical combine.
Many still work in the oil processing plant or in companies dependent on it today.
Among other things, diesel and petrol are produced here for large parts of East Germany – and the raw material has so far come from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline.
The local concern about the consequences of the separation that has now been decided is correspondingly high.
In the meantime, however, Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach is also trying to spread confidence.
The SPD politician sees state control of the majority owners of the PCK refinery as the basis for preservation.
"The trusteeship creates the conditions for being able to take the necessary steps to preserve the PCK refinery," he said.
"Without her, this would not have been possible. With her, the federal government creates the necessary freedom of action." But he also said: "Now it's a matter of successful implementation."
Crude oil stocks only last 20 days
Steinbach, together with Finance Minister Katrin Lange, had previously raised the alarm in several letters to Economics Minister Habeck.
Both demanded a written employment guarantee for the refinery, confirmation that the pipeline would be upgraded and that alternative oil capacities needed would be made available, as well as enough funds for the climate-friendly conversion of the Schwedt region.
"The joint declaration contains the required written commitments," said Steinbach.
"It was a necessary step in the right direction."
Chancellor Scholz said on the sidelines of the staff meeting in Schwedt that the company has a long tradition that is associated with many stories.
»So today's message is: There will also be a time for the future.
Oil will be processed here for a long time to come.« But also with a view to the development towards a climate-neutral economy, there will be work here »that corresponds to what has been done so far.
That's an important message."
The background to the trust administration is the oil embargo against Russia because of the Ukraine war, which took effect on January 1st.
At the EU level, Germany has committed itself to refraining from Russian pipeline oil.
CDU Vice Jens Spahn was extremely skeptical about state control.
“What is driving the government to take this action now, more than three months before the start of the European oil embargo?
How exactly and to what extent is the supply guaranteed, especially in East Germany?" Spahn asked in the "Rheinische Post".
The traffic light will be measured against compliance with its previous commitments.
In fact, it could possibly be tight for the operation of the plant.
Crude oil reserves in Schwedt will only last 20 days if oil supplies from Russia dry up.
As an alternative, oil coming from Rostock is to be processed in Schwedt, and deliveries via ports in Poland are also planned.
Chancellor Scholz, on the other hand, believes that the oil supply will continue to be guaranteed even if Russian oil supplies fail.
He received support for his actions from the economist Veronika Grimm, who found it sensible for the federal government to take over control in order to ensure the continued operation of the refinery.
At the same time, she also pointed out in the »Rheinische Post« the uncertainties for the future oil supply at the large refinery.
Is Poland now allowing shipments through its ports?
The connection via Rostock cannot provide the required quantities in the short term.
Deliveries via Polish ports would also be necessary.
It is unclear whether the trusteeship will be enough to persuade Poland to allow oil shipments through Polish ports.
The country has so far refused to deliver as long as Russian companies are making money from processing.
Meanwhile, Rosneft accused the federal government of forced expropriation of its German subsidiaries.
The company spoke of illegal access to its assets and announced that it would take legal action against the action to protect its assets.
A statement said: "Rosneft sees this as a violation of all the fundamental principles of the market economy, the civilized foundations of a modern society built on the principle of the inviolability of private property."
The group emphasized that it had fulfilled its obligations at all times.
Further investments and projects were also planned.
The group put the previous investments in Germany at 4.6 billion euros.
At the same time, Rosneft made it clear that the Berlin decision meant that it was no longer possible "to guarantee the industrial and ecological safety of the plant."
The federal government's Eastern Commissioner, Carsten Schneider, accused Rosneft of not making any progress in the refinery at the site.
Business partners have withdrawn, on the other hand Rosneft has not released large, fallow areas for other investors, the SPD politician told the editorial network Germany.
"I even dare to predict that in a few years there will be significantly more jobs in Schwedt than there are today," he said.
apr/dpa
