[Reunion Island] SRPP Forced to Re-export Over 11 Million Liters of Unusable Fuel

The information had not been made public. It was revealed through a prefectural decree that a batch of 11.2 million liters of SP95 fuel stored at the Port oil depot was declared non-compliant. This significant volume represents nearly a month’s worth of unleaded consumption on Reunion Island. The state has authorized an exceptional technical operation to re-export this fuel out of the territory.

This information had completely gone unnoticed. It was only through a decree issued by the prefecture that it was discovered that a substantial volume of SP95 (unleaded) gasoline stored at the Port oil depot was declared non-compliant. Following analyses of a tank at the facilities operated by the Reunionese Petroleum Products Company (SRPP), 11,200 m³ of fuel, or 11.2 million liters of unleaded gasoline, were deemed unsuitable for distribution. The document mentions "a fuel not compliant with applicable specifications" stored in the Port facilities.

This volume is far from marginal. In the context of the Reunionese market, the affected volume is significant. According to data from the Observatory of Prices, Margins, and Revenues, about 150 million liters of SP95 gasoline are consumed annually in Reunion (source: December 2025 figures presented by OPMR). The 11.2 million liters of unusable fuel correspond to nearly a month’s worth of unleaded consumption on the island. This is a significant level in a particularly tense international energy context, marked by Middle Eastern tensions and oil price volatility. The issue of strategic stocks was discussed recently during the fuel commission in Reunion, with authorities emphasizing the necessity of maintaining about a month of reserve to secure the island's supply.

The management of this non-compliant fuel poses a challenge: there are no facilities in Reunion capable of reprocessing this type of product. The prefectural decree specifies that the chosen solution arises "due to the lack of a technical outlet on the territory to treat this non-compliant product." The only option is therefore to re-export the fuel to another industrial site by sea. The transfer must be made from the Port oil depot to a ship positioned at Dock H of the West port.

However, the operation requires unusual technical adaptation. Port facilities are designed to operate in one direction: from unloading ships to storage tanks. To allow the reverse movement, the operator must install a temporary pipeline connecting the storage tank to the dock. The prefecture mentions "a temporary installation consisting of hoses to transfer the product to the loading dock." The setup must reach about 1.1 kilometers in length and allow for a maximum flow of approximately 300 m³ of fuel per hour. A risk analysis has been conducted by EGIS and TOTSA (Total Oil Trading S.A).

Continuous monitoring of operations is required due to the nature of the product. SP95 gasoline is especially volatile and flammable. The document notes that the fuel has "a flash point below -40 °C and flammability limits between 1.4% and 8.7% in air." Under these conditions, gasoline vapors can form an explosive mixture when in contact with air. Therefore, the installation must be monitored continuously, with gas and flame detectors and fire fighting means present on site.

The authorization granted by the state is strictly limited in time. The prefecture specifies that "the maximum duration of operation for the temporary installation is set to ten days," including the installation of the setup, technical tests, the transfer operation, and the complete dismantling of equipment. After the operation, the SRPP must submit a detailed report to the state services outlining the operation's progress.

This incident subtly highlights the strategic role of the Port oil depot in the island's energy supply. The facilities operated by the SRPP have a total storage capacity of approximately 250,500 m³ of petroleum products, as noted by the Competition Authority during the acquisition of the company by the Rubis group in July 2015. In 2025, nearly 550 million liters of fuels were distributed in Reunion, with diesel remaining predominant in the vehicle fleet. The Reunionese network currently has 161 service stations, each distributing an average of about 3 million liters of fuel annually.

We attempted to contact the SRPP for clarification on the circumstances that led to the non-compliance of this batch of gasoline and the organization of its evacuation. Contacted by phone and email, the company had not responded to our requests at the time of this article’s publication.

Source: zinfos974.com