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Crisis management: PCK Schwedt facing impending bottlenecks despite the all-clear!
Schwedt/Oder is facing challenges due to new US sanctions. The PCK refinery could jeopardize fuel supplies.
Crisis management: PCK Schwedt facing impending bottlenecks despite the all-clear!
Schwedt is at the center of an explosive debate because the PCK refinery, which formally belongs to the Russian Rosneft group, has been under trust management since the war of aggression in Ukraine. However, on October 28, 2025, the federal government gave the all-clear, which could be a blessing for some in the region. The refinery supplies large parts of northeastern Germany with fuel, kerosene and heating oil and could soon be affected by new US sanctions. So reported radio one that the new regulations could also affect the supply of Berlin and Brandenburg.
The US sanctions, which were recently strengthened, are aimed at hitting the Russian oil industry. The PCK refinery in Schwedt is 54 percent owned by Rosneft Germany, a subsidiary of the Russian group, and could therefore easily find itself in the line of fire. Works council head Danny Ruthenberg expressed concern and appealed to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche. He is demanding an exemption from US sanctions in order to secure jobs and production in Schwedt. The works council chairman warns that if no countermeasures are taken, the refinery may have to be shut down, which would have catastrophic consequences for the 1,200 employees and the supply of citizens in the region Berlin courier reported.
Conversations at the highest level
The federal government is loud Berlin courier in contact with the relevant authorities in Washington. A crucial point here is that Rosneft subsidiaries are now decoupled from the parent company in Russia and can no longer be controlled directly from there. This means that the Schwedt company sources oil from alternative sources, such as Kazakhstan, after decoupling from pipeline oil.
The challenge now is to find a way that both meets the requirements of the US administration and secures production capacities and jobs in Schwedt. There is light at the end of the tunnel: Merz was recently able to obtain an exemption from British sanctions for Rosneft Germany. Now we will see whether he also has a good handle on US sanctions and can bring about a solution that calms the concerns of the population and employees in the region.
The situation remains tense and all eyes are on future decisions. It remains to be seen whether relations between Germany and the USA can take a positive turn in this delicate matter. The people in Schwedt and the surrounding area hope that the PCK refinery can remain an important location for work and supplies in the future.