Refinery move from Germany: New strategy for energy security

In the statement made by the German Ministry of Economy and Energy, it was stated that the official dialogue process that will shape the future of refineries in the country and be crowned with a national strategy has been initiated.

It was stated in the statement that the strategy report to be prepared at the end of the dialogue process will be presented directly to the council of ministers, and that state governments, unions and relevant industrial branches will also be included in the process.

In the statement, it was emphasized that maintaining refinery capacity is one of the most strategic priorities of industrial policy.

In its statement, the Ministry pointed out that possible refinery closures could not be compensated through imports, and warned that this situation would threaten the existence of companies, especially in the chemical industry, or force them to move production abroad.

While investments worth billions of euros are required for the industry's transition from fossil fuels to sustainable raw materials, it was stated that economic risks must be predictable so that companies can make long-term planning.

"STRONG REFINERIES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A DURABLE INDUSTRY"

The statement pointed out that global conflicts and attacks on energy infrastructures once again proved the importance of reliable energy supply, and underlined that a strong industrial country needs strong refineries.

In the statement of the Ministry of Economy, it was stated that in parallel with this dialogue process, a joint study between ministries will be initiated to determine concrete steps that will increase the resilience of the energy system. In this context, it was stated that crisis scenarios and administrative structures will be reviewed and integrated into strategic planning tools.

INCREASE IN PRODUCTION, DECLINE IN IMPORTS

In Germany, which hosts 11 large refinery facilities with an annual crude oil processing capacity of more than 92 million tons, these centers not only produce fuel for the transportation sector but also provide vital intermediate products to critical sectors such as chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

On the other hand, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany's domestic fuel production increased significantly in the first half of 2026.

In the said period, motor and aviation gasoline production increased by 1.8 percent and reached 11 million tons, while diesel production recorded a strong growth of 9.4 percent and reached 15.8 million tons.

With this acceleration in domestic production, Germany's fuel imports from abroad also declined significantly in the first half of the year.