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Federal government extends job guarantee for PCK refinery in Schwedt until 2025!
The federal government is securing jobs at the PCK refinery in Schwedt until the end of 2025 while alternative sources of crude oil are sought.
Federal government extends job guarantee for PCK refinery in Schwedt until 2025!
The PCK refinery in Schwedt, Brandenburg, can breathe a sigh of relief because the employment guarantee has been extended until the end of 2025. Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche made this announcement during a hearing in the Bundestag Economics Committee. The original end of the guarantee would have taken place next Monday, which caused worried faces among the around 1,200 employees. Reiche emphasized that Schwedt plays an important role as a central energy supply center in Brandenburg and that a “sustainable concept” is necessary for the refinery in order to remain operational even in times of crisis. [rbb24](https://www.rbb24.de/wirtschaft/teil/2025/06/pck-raffinerie-schwedt-arbeitsplaetze-beschaeigungs Garantie-verlaengert-russland-embargo-oel.html) reports that the EU sanctions against Russia have meant that Russian crude oil can no longer be processed since the beginning of 2023, which makes the need for alternatives all the more urgent.
The idea of supplying the PCK refinery with Russian oil again is no longer conceivable in the current political situation. Instead of the usual pipeline oil tanker from Russia, oil is now purchased from Rostock, Gdansk and around 1.2 million tons from Kazakhstan. Regional politicians have clearly recognized the importance of the refinery, and both Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke and Economics Minister Daniel Keller welcome the federal government's decision to extend the employment guarantee. However, they are also calling for concrete measures to make the PCK future-proof and to ensure the corresponding investments. [Süddeutsche]. would represent.
The situation on site
Brandenburg's Economics Minister Daniel Keller describes the situation at the PCK refinery as difficult and sees the federal government as responsible for making the necessary investments. At an upcoming rally, scores of workers, including Keller and Woidke, will take to the streets to fight for their jobs. The minister is therefore calling for a longer-term job guarantee and emphasizes that every fifth resident in Schwedt is directly or indirectly linked to the refinery. This dependency causes uncertainty, especially because, according to the works council, the economic difficulties and the red numbers cannot be overlooked. Tagesspiegel reports that employees are also unclear about the future ownership structure of the refinery, as majority owners Rosneft intend to divest themselves of their shares.
The PCK refinery is more than just an industrial site; it is a central part of the energy supply for East Germany and the surrounding regions, including parts of Poland. The challenges facing the refinery are significant, but with the extended employment guarantee there is a glimmer of hope that operations will remain on track under the current conditions. The political pressure to keep the PCK on a solid course seems to be growing, not least due to the massive demonstrations by the population and employees against the oil embargo and the associated supply situation.