Pancevo Refinery, the only one in Serbia and the main fuel supplier for the country, is facing a complete shutdown in a few days, according to President Aleksandar Vucic. It is already operating at reduced capacity due to the sanctions imposed by the U.S. on the majority Russian owner, which have affected the supply of crude oil. Vucic mentioned that the refinery has started to reduce production and that there are only four days left until the complete shutdown.
Although NIS, the company operating the refinery, has stored enough resources to ensure supply until the end of the year, the president has set a 50-day deadline to find a new buyer. If no agreement is reached, the Serbian government will have to intervene directly in the management of the company. The refinery supplies about 80% of Serbia's fuel, and temporary import solutions are not viable in the long term.
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