Hundreds of fuel retailers in the Swedish countryside will probably disappear next year, unless the government takes action claims the OSS, Swedish Service station association.
The most vulnerable are those located in sparsely populated and rural areas and are often the last service point in the locality. If these facilities are forced to close, it will be devastating for residents, other businesses in the catchment area and for tourists.
In addition, it is pure capital destruction to close down otherwise functioning activities. The government can, through three simple measures, prevent the closure of most of these outlets:
1. Give general exemption for service stations that are alone in the locality in sparsely populated areas with at least three years 2. Introduce the possibility of applying for exemptions for individual retailers and 3. Introduce the possibility that granted investment grants can be paid directly from authority to performing contractor.
The transition to more renewable fuels is a given, but the need for wet fuels will persist for decades.
Sweden will phase out fossil fuels by 2040 at the latest. OSS and the industry have a great responsibility, but are also dependent on our survival, to take a leading position and lead development.
The industry needs to change and create new relevant services for electrification. A weighted forecast shows that the share of rechargeable cars sold will constitute the majority in 2030 and that the share of rechargeable cars shortly thereafter will constitute the majority of the vehicles that roll in Sweden.
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