Hernadi: Hungary could face fuel supply problems without imports

If the government’s price caps on fuel remain in place in their current form, there will be no fuel imports coming in to Hungary, Hernadi told the press after meeting Antal Rogan, the head of the cabinet office, and Gergely Gulyas, the prime minister’s chief of staff.

This is important because Hungary is facing a shortage of diesel, and MOL’s refinery in Szazhalombatta, near Budapest, is unable to satisfy domestic demand even under normal circumstances, Hernadi said. But, he added, MOL will have to close the refinery for scheduled maintenance work on Monday, which the company could no longer postpone.

Hernadi said the government had acknowledged his briefing.

He said he had asked the government to make a decision on the matter as soon as possible. Hernadi said he believed the government should enact measures aimed at narrowing the base of beneficiaries of the price caps so that fuel traders will find it worthwhile to bring diesel to Hungary.

Hernadi also noted the extraordinary circumstances in Hungary’s neighbourhood like the war in Ukraine, Austrian peer OMV’s refinery in Schwechat being shut down since May, and last week’s unexpected shutdown of one of Czechia’s two refineries.