Swedt in change: from black to green - future of the refinery is on the brink!

Swedt in change: from black to green - future of the refinery is on the brink!

The industrial city of Schwedt (Uckermark) faces a comprehensive transformation that only won drama with the embargo on Russian crude oil in 2023. Many residents feared that crude oil and fuel supply in the region could collapse, which questioned the existence of the PCK refinery. The city's life nerve could have been cut. Despite the fact that the impending collapse was averted, this has not yet made a feeling of security with the Swedishes, as rbbb24

Mayor Annegret Hoppe (SPD) has underlined that the city urgently needs a stable owner who reliably operates the refinery and ensures the safety of the jobs. The refinery belongs to 54 percent of the German daughters of the Russian state company Rosneft, which are currently under the federal trust management. This trust management was last extended until March 10, 2025, while talks about a possible sale of the Russian shares. The federal government has extended the employment guarantee for the PCK refinery by the end of June 2025 to ensure planning security for the approximately 1,200 employees.

challenges and investments

The unresolved ownership question and unclear economic framework are slowing the progress in Schwedt. The British partner Shell has been looking for a buyer for years. A planned sale to the British Prax Group failed at the end of 2024. At the same time, the Emirate Qatar shows interest in taking over the shares of Rosneft Germany, which could potentially open up new perspectives. The city therefore pursues a future-oriented strategy in which electrolysis systems with an output of up to 400 megawatts are supposed to drive until 2027 to produce hydrogen for the refinery.

For comprehensive transformation, investments of 15 billion euros are required. However, these high costs have led to a discomfort among the citizens, which confirms Konstanze Fischer from the Schwedt future alliance: "Skepticism in the city comes from the fact that it should be very quick, a lot should be invested, but all of these investments cannot yet come." There are also critical voices for switching to renewable energies. The city councilor Peggy Lindemann (AfD) expressed: "All these solar and wind turbines, for which forest is cut down, is not a green policy for me."

swedt

The transformation Schwedts is also discussed in the RBB documentary "Black Gold and Green Plans-as Schwedt reinvented itself", which was broadcast on January 14, 2025. The film shows the efforts of the city to create an attractive environment for young entrepreneurs. Schwedt is considered an industrial -friendly place, but there is a lack of a presence of universities and research institutions. Mayor Hoppe states: "This is the largest location disadvantage we have."

A sustainable part of the transformation process is the real laboratory that is to be located in an old paper mill. This concept aims to strengthen the innovation culture on site. Entrepreneur Steffen Knauthe (BVB Free Voters) sees the potential that the hall could be filled with experimental companies in five years to create new jobs. Another element of change is the service and transformation building decided in May 2024, which should act as a technology and start-up center.

The RBB reporters Fred Pilarski and Riccardo Wittig provide a mood from the changes in the city in their documentary and illuminate the economic, technical and political background. Despite the financial support for climate -friendly technologies and the settlement of new companies, the mood in Schwedt remains tense between skepticism and departure, since unresolved property issues block decisive transformation projects.