Fuel supply disruptions may occur in Cyprus

Fuel shortages may occur in Cyprus after the authorities decided to begin applying the European ADR requirements for the transport of dangerous goods without another extension. 330 out of 420 fuel tankers operating on the island are at risk of being taken out of service.

This concerns the European ADR safety standards, which have been in force since 2008. In particular, fuel tankers must be equipped with an automatic power shutoff system in the event of an accident. Although these requirements have existed for many years, their implementation has been repeatedly postponed.

According to the Ministry of Transport, only about 20% of the fleet currently complies with the requirements. Most of the remaining vehicles will have to be upgraded or replaced, but some tankers are too old and can no longer be retrofitted.

Owners of petrol stations say that upgrading the fleet will require significant costs: a new fuel tanker costs around 120–130 thousand euros, and delivery can take up to a year and a half. For this reason, the industry is calling for a transition period and for the possibility of compensation to be considered.

The Ministry of Transport, in turn, insists that safety is more important than possible inconvenience and warns of increased inspections ahead. Sanctions предусмотрed by law will be applied for operating equipment that does not comply with the requirements.

Amid possible delivery disruptions, the authorities are already advising residents to stock up on heating oil in advance for the heating season.

Fuel tanker owners plan to hold a protest on 21 July outside the presidential palace and hand the head of state a memorandum calling for additional time for the industry to transition to the new standards.