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Belgium sees fuel demand surge as French drivers flee strike

by AFP Staff Writers Brussels (AFP) Oct 9, 2022 AFP
Belgium on Sunday said it was facing no supply shortage at the petrol pumps due to extra demand from French motorists crossing the border because of a strike at energy giant TotalEnergies.

Frustrated French drivers are facing long waits at petrol pumps across the country, but especially in the northern Hauts-de-France region that borders Belgium.

According to Brafco, Belgium's association of fuel traders, service stations near the border are seeing an increase in use of 15 to 20 percent.

"Stocks have been built up. As long as the social conflict continues in France, we are ready," Brafco's technical director Olivier Neirynck told Belga news agency.

He also said a symbolic blockage of two TotalEnergies sites over the weekend in Belgium were not posing supply problems.

Hundreds of activists camped out at the entry of facilities in the French-speaking Wallonia region on Saturday to protest the soaring profits of energy companies amid the global energy crisis.

The protest ended without incident on Sunday.

arp/lcm

TOTALENERGIES

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