Suche
Mein Konto
Federal government plans Rosneft expropriation: future of PCK in danger!
The federal government is examining the expropriation of Rosneft in Germany. The trust administration for PCK Schwedt runs until September 2025.
Federal government plans Rosneft expropriation: future of PCK in danger!
The political situation surrounding the future of the PCK refinery, which is of central importance for the energy supply of East Germany and the greater Berlin area, is currently simmering in Schwedt. On September 10, 2025, the federal trusteeship of the Russian company Rosneft's shares in the refinery will expire. Until then, however, there are still many open questions, as the Nordkurier reports.
State Secretary for Economic Affairs Frank Wetzel confirmed in a reply to Bundestag member Michael Kellner (Alliance 90/The Greens) that the federal government does not yet have any concrete plans for the period after the trust administration expires. This is a cause for concern, particularly as the job guarantee for employees expires in two weeks. Kellner called for a clear strategy and expressed concerns about the government's lack of planning. At this point, the fate of the jobs surrounding the PCK is in limbo, and a possible expropriation of Rosneft is under discussion.
Expropriation and legal action
The federal government is considering expropriating Rosneft in Germany, as Tagesschau reports. Rosneft holds a 54% stake in the PCK refinery and plans to legally defend itself against these considerations. The Kremlin considers these plans to be illegal and would respond with countermeasures. According to Rosneft, such moves are unprecedented and threaten confidence in investment security in Europe.
The trust administration was introduced in September 2022 when the federal government took control of Rosneft shares in order to secure energy supplies in Germany. Given this history, a complex picture now emerges: In order not to endanger the operation of the refineries and the energy supply, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is establishing legal requirements for the sale of Rosneft shares to new investors. However, despite intensive negotiations, the process appears to have stalled.
Political voices and economic importance
Concern about the job situation is also present in the Brandenburg CDU. The economic policy spokesman Frank Bommert supports an extension of the employment guarantee for the around 1,200 employees of the PCK refinery and hopes for new management under the new Federal Minister of Economics Katharina Reiche (CDU). Bommert also criticized the SPD and the BSW for their refusal to hold talks about possible oil supplies from Kazakhstan, which would be highly relevant to supplying the PCK.
According to the Federal Government, the trust administration via Rosneft Deutschland GmbH and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH has been extended until September 10, 2025. This is intended to secure the energy supply, especially for Berlin and Brandenburg. The company is one of the largest oil processing companies in Germany and plays a key role in around 12% of the country's oil processing capacity.
In these exciting and uncertain times, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop and what decisions the federal government will ultimately make. The challenges are great and fears about job guarantees and energy supplies remain high. The next few weeks are crucial for the future of the PCK refinery and its employees.