Switzerland taps diesel reserves after French rain delays pipeline deliveries

Diesel released from compulsory stocks

The Federal Office for National Economic Supply has authorised withdrawals of up to 45,000 cubic metres of diesel from compulsory stocks for the period from 23 October to 22 November 2026. Delegate Roland Pfister approved the release, which was announced on Friday, 23 October. The amount equals just under four percent of the diesel compulsory reserves currently held, or 45 million litres. Heavy rain in southern France slowed the pumping of crude oil and the delivery of finished products through the pipelines that feed Switzerland, creating a short-term diesel gap. The office said the withdrawals would offset that temporary deficit and keep supply secure.

Several pressures at once

The war in Iran has kept international oil markets under strain for about eight months, according to BFMTV, and Tehran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the main exit route for Gulf hydrocarbon exports. Diesel prices are among the hardest hit. Low water on the Rhine has also disrupted supply routes for months, and a swissinfo report says it limits how much cargo barges can carry. In September, a technical defect took the only Swiss oil refinery, in Cressier NE, out of operation for about two weeks, which forced an earlier release of fuel reserves, Blick reported. The office put the picture plainly:

Delayed pipeline deliveries due to heavy rain in southern France have caused a short-term diesel shortage, while the supply situation is already very tense.

How the stock system works

Switzerland keeps compulsory stocks of vital goods, and the federal government sets which goods each sector must store and in what quantity. Liquid fuels are held by the Carbura organisation. Food and feed, nitrogen fertilisers, medicines and natural gas have separate reserves managed by Réservesuisse, Agricura, Helvecura and Provisiogas. The diesel and kerosene releases draw on the liquid fuel stock.

Kerosene for Zurich Airport

Jet fuel followed a separate track. On 15 October, delays and cancellations in international rail freight raised the risk of a fuel shortage at Zurich Airport, the office said. Withdrawals of up to 30,000 cubic metres of kerosene, equal to 6.5 percent of the stock, were already approved and can run until 1 November. The office says aviation fuel supply is now guaranteed through those withdrawals. Petrol and heating oil also remain available, although the office warned that the situation for all petroleum products stays tense and precarious.

A possible 80 km/h limit

Blick reports that the federal office has drawn up a template for an 80 km/h speed limit on Swiss motorways, submitted in the autumn to the federal administration for comment. The office confirmed the preparations to the newspaper and explained what the measure would do:

The measure would, in the event of a severe shortage, already accompany ongoing withdrawals from the compulsory stocks and support them with an additional saving effect.

No decision has been taken, and the conditions for introducing the limit and the amount of fuel it would save remain open, according to the report. The Federal Council could order such a reduction in a severe shortage. Blick also noted that transport costs, including the low Rhine water that makes shipping difficult, feed into fuel prices alongside crude oil.

Outlook

The diesel release runs until 22 November and the kerosene authorisation until 1 November. The office said it is watching the situation closely together with the industry, and it warned that a problem with any single transport route can quickly create bottlenecks.