The release of these volumes was meant to ease pressure on the network. Readings closed Wednesday at 9 a.m. show that distribution outages persist, slightly fewer than the previous evening in the Grand Est, but still well above the national rate of stations in difficulty.
The day before, at 5 p.m., the share of outlets affected reached 20%. The decline, of only one point, leaves the region under still marked supply strain.
According to data posted online by the government, 19% of service stations in the Grand Est were experiencing at least one fuel distribution outage on Wednesday at 9 a.m.
The criterion used for the region is precise: a station enters the count as soon as it suffers an outage of at least one fuel. The 19% rate therefore does not describe a network entirely dry, but an incomplete supply at nearly one outlet in five.
This gap with the rest of the country measures the scale of the problem. While the government counts one-tenth of French stations in difficulty, the Grand Est concentrates a stronger constraint on fuel distribution.
These difficulties come amid rising pump prices since the start of the conflict in the Middle East. To cushion the impact, the government released fuel stocks in early November for the benefit of service stations.