Schwedt is fighting for the future: refinery in crisis and new opportunities!

Schwedt is fighting for the future: refinery in crisis and new opportunities!

The situation in Schwedt, Brandenburg, is tense. The city, which was once considered a stronghold of the SPD, is at a crossroads. Since the ban on imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline from 2023, the PCK refinery, the economic heart of the region, has had massive problems. Loud coolis.de The refinery's utilization figures are sometimes below 80%, while the costs remain at 100%. The insufficient capacity of the pipeline from the port of Rostock is identified as the main reason for the economic difficulties. Eat or die – that seems to be the motto.

Falling tax revenues are also worrying. The city is facing financial bottlenecks, which means that planned renovations have had to be canceled. The population's dissatisfaction is also reflected in politics: in the last federal election, the AfD and the BSW received more than half of the votes in Schwedt. Many citizens feel let down by political promises. While the SPD used to be the dominant force, trust in the established parties has declined.

Transformation process stalled

The green transformation of the PCK refinery appears to have stalled. Maybe it's the pressure of the oil embargo against Russia or the unclear ownership situation - there are many reasons for this. Managing director Ralf Schairer emphasizes that the current regulatory environment does not offer any positive incentives for economic strategies, especially for the planned commissioning of a green hydrogen plant. This is tricky because the refinery's goal is to phase out fossil fuels by 2045 and develop into a “hydrogen hub.” Planned investments worth billions of euros must now be tackled quickly to avoid further setbacks rbb24.de makes clear.

The federal government has extended the trust administration for the Russian majority owner Rosneft until September 10th, but sales negotiations are stagnating and this is making further planning difficult. Mayor Annekathrin Hoppe is calling for an end to the oil embargo to ensure economic stability. While it condemns the war of aggression against Ukraine, the need for safe operation of the refinery remains clear. However, there are also bright spots in Schwedt: around 50 companies have applied for the “Startup Laboratory”, which aims to develop innovative technologies in green chemistry and bioraw materials.

Hope for the future

The planned construction of a transformation center (transformer) on the old bus station, funded with 18 million euros from EU funds, is another step in the right direction. Loud coolis.de Schwedt hopes to use new technologies and local initiatives to avert the exodus of young people and stop the region's decline.

In a larger context, the question of the energy transition in Germany also arises. The plans to be climate neutral by 2045 require comprehensive transformations. The expansion of renewable energies is ongoing, but falls short of the targets. Experts are drawing attention to the urgency, particularly with regard to wind and hydropower capacity. All of this contributes to uncertainty and makes it clear that the climate goals can only be achieved with a real shift towards renewable energies wirtschaftsdienst.eu.

Schwedt is not only an example of the difficulties of structural change, but also of the challenges that all of Germany still has to overcome in implementing the energy transition. Whether the city will be able to manage this change remains to be seen - the signs are changing.