France's Fuel Crisis Deepens as Drivers Rush to Fill Their Tanks

(MENAFN) A wave of fuel shortages is gripping France after motorists scrambled to stockpile gasoline and diesel following the rollout of government-backed price caps, draining supplies at nearly a thousand stations nationwide, the Energy Ministry and multiple media outlets confirmed.

As of Wednesday, roughly 900 stations had exhausted at least one fuel type — approximately 700 of them belonging to energy giant TotalEnergies. Officials attributed the disruption to logistical bottlenecks rather than a fundamental gap in the country's supply chain.

Independent estimates, however, paint a starker picture: up to 1,600 sites may have suffered temporary outages as fuel prices climbed sharply in the wake of escalating Middle East hostilities. Diesel costs across France hit an all-time high of approximately €2.25 — equivalent to $2.45 — per liter.

The ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has delivered a severe shock to global energy markets, driving crude prices upward and squeezing consumers at the pump across the world. A critical pressure point has been the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil flows — now effectively disrupted by the conflict.

TotalEnergies moved Tuesday to extend its price ceiling on petrol and diesel at stations across mainland France through April 7, a response to an unexpected surge in consumer demand triggered by the cap itself. The company acknowledged a sharp spike in network traffic since mid-March and flagged "localized supply tensions," with diesel bearing the heaviest strain.

French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon sought to calm public concern in an appearance on a TV channel, noting that fewer than one in ten stations had been impacted. "there is no risk of a supply shortage at this time," she said, pointing to the country's strategic reserves of around 100 million barrels as a cushion. "We still have some leeway and will respond as necessary to occasional supply difficulties."

The energy crunch is already reverberating through the wider economy. France's annual inflation rate accelerated to 1.9% in March — the steepest reading since August 2024 — propelled in part by a 7.3% spike in energy costs, snapping a more than year-long decline, according to figures released by national statistics agency Insee.

In a warning issued last week, Shell CEO Wael Sawan cautioned that Europe risks broader fuel supply disruptions as the Iran conflict continues to batter Gulf energy infrastructure. Jet fuel has already been affected, he said, with diesel expected to follow — and gasoline shortages potentially emerging ahead of the peak summer travel season.

The crisis has simultaneously reignited a strategic debate inside the EU over long-term energy sourcing. Russia once provided roughly a quarter of the bloc's oil imports before 2022, but the union has since slashed those purchases dramatically and is targeting a full phase-out by 2027.

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