In the midst of summer travel, when road traffic is at its heaviest, a number of gas stations in the country stopped selling mass-produced A-95 gasoline. The reason is not a lack of the fuel itself, but a delay in the supply of the additive mandatory under the European directive - bioethanol.
The Chairman of the Bulgarian Oil and Gas Association Svetoslav Benchev said on bTV that the situation should not be defined as a fuel crisis. “We have plenty of gasoline. There are no problems with diesel fuel and LPG, the only difficulty is related to the supply of bioethanol“, he specified.
According to him, the shortage is the result of a coincidence of several factors: the closure of a production plant in Hungary, quotas for raw materials and biofuels from Ukraine introduced by the European Commission, as well as increased demand throughout the European Union. “The perfect storm is happening and we are part of it“, commented Benchev.
He stressed that supplies are gradually normalizing and there is no reason for panic among drivers. “Panic is the most dangerous enemy in any market. I urge people not to overstock up on fuel," the association's chairman also said.
Despite the shortage of A-95, fuel prices in our country have remained stable, even recording a slight drop of 1-2 percent over the past month. "There is no reason for prices to go up, at least at the moment," Benchev added.
Problems with fuel supplies have also been reported in other countries in the region. In Romania, for example, the authorities have introduced a limit on quantities for sale, and the state reserve has been released due to technical problems with local refineries.
Regarding political calls for an investigation into possible intentional actions for shortages, Benchev said that the sector is "the most inspected in years" and is ready for any inspections. "Whether it is intentional or not - let the institutions decide." The important thing is not to build tension," he pointed out.