Macedonian Prime Minister HristijanMickoskisays Thursday that, based on information received from traders of oil and petroleum products, no shortage of diesel fuel is expected for the remainder of the year. Furthermore, according to what they conveyed to him in private conversations, they do not anticipate any supply issues for the coming year either. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister noted that discussions have also been held with the management of OKTA regarding the possibility of restarting the refinery to produce diesel fuel from crude oil, a prospect made particularly relevant given that the refinery is now connected to the Port of Thessaloniki via a product pipeline.
“What’s important is that we held a meeting with the major traders of petroleum products and fuels, including the management of OKTA. We tasked them with re-examining the possibility of restarting the production process at the OKTA refinery, given that the product pipeline is now operational, meaning the refinery is physically connected to the Port of Thessaloniki. This would allow for the transport of crude oil to the refinery, where it could be processed into diesel fuel. Unfortunately, the refinery has not been in operation since 2012. It is currently closed, and an assessment is underway; we expect to receive information from OKTA’s management very soon regarding whether, and within what timeframe, the refinery could potentially be brought back into operation,” stressed Prime Minister Mickoski.