The accident at Austria’s only oil refinery Schwechat, which occurred in early June, could be associated with sabotage.
⠀
Currently, the Austrian State Security and Intelligence Directorate (DSN) is investigating the causes of the accident at the enterprise. At the same time, the department suggests that we are talking about possible intervention by a foreign power. Now the country’s intelligence is actively cooperating with European partners on this issue.
⠀
At the same time, the newspaper notes, the OMV concern itself, which manages the refinery, adheres to the version that the incident occurred due to random technical problems.
⠀
Schwechat is one of the largest refineries in Europe. The accident at the enterprise occurred on June 3, 2022, as a result of which the main crude oil distillation unit was damaged. Against the backdrop of the incident, several regions of the country faced a shortage of diesel. Because of this, the Austrian government had to release tens of thousands of tons from the strategic reserve.
⠀
Currently, the refinery is only 20 percent loaded. The OMV management hopes to bring it to full capacity by October.
