The European Commission has given the go-ahead for Polish multinational Orlen to take over 266 petrol stations in Austria. As a result, Orlen will become one of the three largest fuel chains in Austria, holding about 10 % of the retail market share.

According to the Orlen release, once the acquisition is finalised, Austria will be the seventh European retail market where customers will be able to use Orlen’s network services. It was noted that the transaction will allow the company to meet its strategic objectives of nearly 97 % by 2030 in terms of the number of stations.

The deal concerns 266 facilities operating under the Turmöl brand. Nearly half of the acquired stations are self-service facilities, popular in Austria, which allow customers to purchase fuel and pay for it directly at the dispenser, and 40 of the acquired facilities are equipped with photovoltaic panels.

The company taken over by Orlen also has a network of chargers for electric cars under the Turmström brand. By the end of the year, this will include 110 charging points at 34 locations. A car wash is available at 96 sites, half of the stations offer shop services, and a food and beverage points operate at around 80. The company Austrocard, which offers fuel cards for private and business customers and is accepted at more than 500 locations in Austria, will also be acquired as part of the transaction.

“Thanks to the merger with Lotos Group and PGNiG, we have the potential to implement ambitious growth plans, also in the retail area. The decision of the European Commission brings us closer not only to the realisation of strategic goals concerning foreign expansion as well as to the realisation of assumptions related to the self-sufficiency of fuel stations and the development of alternative fuels”, said Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek.

Orlen Group’s strategy until 2030 assumes that the company’s network of fuel stations will comprise 3.5 thousand points and 45 % of them will be located outside Poland.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński