Brought the heat: ORLEN and Hellenic Accounted for Over 40% of Diesel Imports
In September, diesel fuel imports hit a new record — 678,000 tons, up 4% compared to the already high August volumes. This is also the highest figure since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukrainian companies imported more only once — in September 2021.
Active fuel deliveries in the third quarter helped narrow the year-to-date gap: over the first nine months, total imports were just 5% lower than during the same period in 2024, amounting to 4.6 million tons. Unfortunately, this does not indicate economic growth — it merely reflects the replacement of volumes previously produced by the Kremenchuk refinery.
The September record was driven by southern supplies, which rose 9% to 356,000 tons, while imports from western routes fell 1% to 322,000 tons, mainly due to reduced shipments from Slovakia, where repeated drone attacks on the “Druzhba” pipeline’s pumping stations in August caused disruptions.
Romania remained the largest supplier in September, providing 159,000 tons, 6% less than in August. Mid-month, uncertainty began to grow around the Constanța fuel terminal, prompting some buyers to shift to other sources while others rushed to withdraw their prepaid cargoes before the end of the month.
The biggest seller last month was Vitaro Energy, whose deliveries jumped 77% to 61,000 tons. Far behind came Euronova Energies and Socar, with 39,000 tons and 36,000 tons, respectively. Alkagesta’s sales halved from 29,000 tons to 14,000 tons, while the sharpest drop was seen at Oscar Downstream, which shipped just 6,000 tons versus 25,000 tons in August. Notably, Oscar was the only COT operator in September that did not supply Indian fuel to the Ukrainian market.
In addition to seaborne diesel from Romania, OMV Petrom resumed supplies after a four-month pause, delivering 3,000 tons.
Imports from Greece grew 17% to 136,000 tons. The increase in Greek fuel supplies reflected market reaction to potential sanctions over Constanta amid high seasonal demand. Traders holding Hellenic Petroleum contracts made a few extra calls to Athens — and brought in additional volumes. Last month, over 70% of Greek supplies were handled by Rinaco Trade, Cantarell Trading and D. Trading. According to enkorr, October promises even stronger performance, with over 30 cargoes expected from Hellenic Petroleum and Motor Oil Hellas.
Seasonal demand and possible restrictions on Romanian imports also affected Turkish supplies, which rose 42% month-over-month to 51,000 tons. In September, all volumes came from the STAR refinery — there were no shipments of Indian fuel from Opet’s Marmara terminal, unsurprisingly given the situation around Constanta.
Western Support
Supplies from Poland increased 10% to 202,000 tons, mainly due to higher ORLEN volumes, while independent traders maintained roughly August levels. In September, ORLEN shipped 95,000 tons (+23% vs August) — the highest volume on record. The surge in demand for Polish fuel was driven by the upcoming maintenance at the Mazeikiai refinery and reduced product availability from MOL (Hungary). Another factor was the diversification of loading bases: since mid-2024, ORLEN has been offering fuel not only from Żurawica, but also directly from its Płock refinery. In September, less than half of Polish exports originated from the border terminal.
Shipments from Szczecin terminal rose from 65,000 to 71,000 tons. Select Energy (UPG’s partner) maintained August volumes, while Oktan Energy boosted deliveries from 12,000 to 17,000 tons, earning ZPEK a place among the top five rail importers of diesel in September.
At the PERN terminal in Dębogórze, which handles seaborne fuel from Gdynia, shipments fell from 36,000 to 33,000 tons. The main losses were posted by Unimot and Martin Trade, which together delivered 10,000 tons, down from 20,000 tons in August. Meanwhile, BP Polska resumed activity, shipping 6,000 tons last month.
Imports from Lithuania declined 11% to 62,000 tons. From the Moczków terminal, ORLEN Lietuva shipped a record 39,000 tons by rail, while truck deliveries nearly halved from 41,000 to 22,000 tons. In October, the Lithuanian refinery reportedly halted rail exports due to maintenance — explaining the elevated September volumes.
September marked the last month of high domestic demand, and a decline in consumption is expected in October. Maintenance at Mazeikiai refinery and the ban on Romanian fuel imports from Constanța have already begun reshaping import patterns. As a result, the share of supplies from Poland and Greece will continue to grow in the coming months.
Source: https://enkorr.ua/uk/news/dali_kptyavi_orlen_hellenic_zabezpechili_ponad_40_mportu_dp/265338
The September record was driven by southern supplies, which rose 9% to 356,000 tons, while imports from western routes fell 1% to 322,000 tons, mainly due to reduced shipments from Slovakia, where repeated drone attacks on the “Druzhba” pipeline’s pumping stations in August caused disruptions.
Romania remained the largest supplier in September, providing 159,000 tons, 6% less than in August. Mid-month, uncertainty began to grow around the Constanța fuel terminal, prompting some buyers to shift to other sources while others rushed to withdraw their prepaid cargoes before the end of the month.
The biggest seller last month was Vitaro Energy, whose deliveries jumped 77% to 61,000 tons. Far behind came Euronova Energies and Socar, with 39,000 tons and 36,000 tons, respectively. Alkagesta’s sales halved from 29,000 tons to 14,000 tons, while the sharpest drop was seen at Oscar Downstream, which shipped just 6,000 tons versus 25,000 tons in August. Notably, Oscar was the only COT operator in September that did not supply Indian fuel to the Ukrainian market.
In addition to seaborne diesel from Romania, OMV Petrom resumed supplies after a four-month pause, delivering 3,000 tons.
Imports from Greece grew 17% to 136,000 tons. The increase in Greek fuel supplies reflected market reaction to potential sanctions over Constanta amid high seasonal demand. Traders holding Hellenic Petroleum contracts made a few extra calls to Athens — and brought in additional volumes. Last month, over 70% of Greek supplies were handled by Rinaco Trade, Cantarell Trading and D. Trading. According to enkorr, October promises even stronger performance, with over 30 cargoes expected from Hellenic Petroleum and Motor Oil Hellas.
Seasonal demand and possible restrictions on Romanian imports also affected Turkish supplies, which rose 42% month-over-month to 51,000 tons. In September, all volumes came from the STAR refinery — there were no shipments of Indian fuel from Opet’s Marmara terminal, unsurprisingly given the situation around Constanta.
Western Support
Supplies from Poland increased 10% to 202,000 tons, mainly due to higher ORLEN volumes, while independent traders maintained roughly August levels. In September, ORLEN shipped 95,000 tons (+23% vs August) — the highest volume on record. The surge in demand for Polish fuel was driven by the upcoming maintenance at the Mazeikiai refinery and reduced product availability from MOL (Hungary). Another factor was the diversification of loading bases: since mid-2024, ORLEN has been offering fuel not only from Żurawica, but also directly from its Płock refinery. In September, less than half of Polish exports originated from the border terminal.
Shipments from Szczecin terminal rose from 65,000 to 71,000 tons. Select Energy (UPG’s partner) maintained August volumes, while Oktan Energy boosted deliveries from 12,000 to 17,000 tons, earning ZPEK a place among the top five rail importers of diesel in September.
At the PERN terminal in Dębogórze, which handles seaborne fuel from Gdynia, shipments fell from 36,000 to 33,000 tons. The main losses were posted by Unimot and Martin Trade, which together delivered 10,000 tons, down from 20,000 tons in August. Meanwhile, BP Polska resumed activity, shipping 6,000 tons last month.
Imports from Lithuania declined 11% to 62,000 tons. From the Moczków terminal, ORLEN Lietuva shipped a record 39,000 tons by rail, while truck deliveries nearly halved from 41,000 to 22,000 tons. In October, the Lithuanian refinery reportedly halted rail exports due to maintenance — explaining the elevated September volumes.
September marked the last month of high domestic demand, and a decline in consumption is expected in October. Maintenance at Mazeikiai refinery and the ban on Romanian fuel imports from Constanța have already begun reshaping import patterns. As a result, the share of supplies from Poland and Greece will continue to grow in the coming months.
Source: https://enkorr.ua/uk/news/dali_kptyavi_orlen_hellenic_zabezpechili_ponad_40_mportu_dp/265338