Hungary’s independent petrol station operators are warning of potential nationwide fuel supply problems within weeks unless immediate action is taken over diesel pricing regulations, while oil company MOL says the country’s fuel supply remains stable.
According to Association of Independent Petrol Stations President László Gépész, independent fuel retailers may soon be forced to sell diesel without any profit margin, creating unsustainable operating conditions for smaller stations.
Speaking to MTI on Tuesday, Gépész said serious fuel supply disruptions could emerge across Hungary within two to three weeks if petrol stations are required to continue selling fuel without margins while also paying windfall taxes.
The warning follows a notice from MOL to petrol station operators stating that diesel fuel supplied from Hungary’s strategic reserves is expected to run out by Wednesday. From Thursday onward, retailers would reportedly receive diesel at an official fixed price and would only be allowed to resell it at the same rate, leaving no room for profit.
Gépész said many independent stations may respond by restricting sales once their current inventories run low, while others could continue operating only until their reserves are exhausted before temporarily closing.
He warned that as more stations suspend operations, demand would likely shift to the remaining outlets, accelerating closures and potentially creating a fuel shortage similar to Hungary’s 2022 fuel crisis.
MOL rejected suggestions that the country’s fuel supply is under threat. In a statement, the company said Hungary’s supply of both petrol and diesel remains stable.
The company confirmed that diesel volumes originating from the state’s strategic reserves could be depleted by midnight on Wednesday, but stressed that it would continue supplying partners using its own production capacity to ensure uninterrupted nationwide fuel availability.
In a statement on Monday, the independent petrol station association argued that the sector’s business model has become unsustainable. The group said independent stations generate around 400 billion forints in annual tax revenue while effectively financing losses themselves, adding that previously promised government support has failed to materialize.
The association called for urgent professional consultations and the swift removal of temporary market regulations that it says distort competition and threaten supply security.
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