UK Fuel Crisis, Long Queues at Gas Stations
The long queues at the Public Refueling Stations (SPBU) are more because they are short of HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) heavy truck drivers who deliver fuel. "There is no shortage of fuel. The problem we have seen over the last few days is the shortage of heavy truck drivers. Temporary HGV due to Covid-19, as has happened in other countries such as Germany and Poland," the British Embassy in Indonesia said in a press release, Friday (1/10). The Guardian reports that long queues have appeared at thousands of gas stations in the UK since last week. People even have to queue for hours to refuel. Thousands of gas stations are empty as electricity costs soar in the European Union ahead of winter, accompanied by rising prices for oil, natural gas, and coal. Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and increasingly stringent immigration regulations have forced many immigrant drivers to leave the UK. The country which is identical to the lion symbol is also distraught because of the scarcity of drivers. The reason is, the shortage of drivers not only affects the scarcity of fuel but also the supply chain in their country. The British Embassy in Indonesia explained that the British government had taken several measures so that the shortage of truck drivers would not have much impact on the industry. Among them is by placing military personnel as tanker drivers in a limited number who are ready to be deployed if needed. Read also Energy Crisis, UK Hopes to Reconnect to EU Electricity Market This step is taken to further stabilize supply chains. Moreover, England will face the Christmas holiday season in the next two months. "Provided 5,000 visas for HGV heavy truck drivers for three months and provided short-term assistance to the freight industry ahead of Christmas," he added. The British government has also placed a test team for drivers from the Ministry of Defense to improve HGV testing capabilities in the UK. Also, implemented a temporary exception to the Competition Act - known as the Oil Downstream Protocol. This policy allows the industry to share information and prioritize easy delivery of fuel to parts of the country where it is most needed. The UK government has also extended the ADR driver's license (permit to drive a vehicle) that carries hazardous materials to prevent drivers from being removed from the list for refresher training. READ ALSO Impact of Semiconductor Chip Crisis, UK Car Production Drops 27% They also appealed to people who still hold HGV driver's licenses to reconsider returning to the transport sector, where they will get better wages and working conditions. "While we now see that the situation is improving, we are continuing to work to fix structural problems in the freight industry, helping to recruit and retain more drivers," he said. The government will also continue to increase the number of heavy vehicle drivers by increasing the availability of testing and simplifying the process. Thus, 50,000 more tests can be made available each year. This number of tests does not include the amount of availability that had already doubled in April from pre-pandemic levels. The British government will also invest 10 million pounds (Rp 193.45 billion) to create a new skills training camp. Also, train up to 3,000 HGV heavy truck drivers - with an additional 1,000 trained through local level pieces of training. READ ALSO UK, China Energy Crisis, DEN Re-evaluation of Indonesian Energy Security "Our message to drivers is to remain tactful and just refuel as usual," said the British Embassy. The UK government says there is a shortage of HGV heavy truck drivers not only in the UK but across Europe. Research from Transport Intelligence estimates that the shortage of drivers from mainland Europe is around 400,000. "We know that this sector has long-term structural problems, including an aging workforce, which is exacerbated by various short-term factors such as Covid-19," they said.
The electricity crisis in China is getting worse.
The governor of Jilin Province, Han Jun, promised to increase the local electricity supply by increasing the scale of coal imports.
In addition to securing cross-provincial coal supplies from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, (China will also) increase imports from Russia, Mongolia, and Indonesia," quoted from the Global Times, Friday (1/10/2021). domestic and overseas will be encouraged by related supporting policies. More coal storage facilities will also be built.
Not only that, but Han also ordered the power plant to coal storage will also be built.
Not only that, Han also ordered the power plant to maintain a stable power plant at all costs. They were also asked to make fulfilling residential electricity use a priority. Han noted that local financial companies should also support power generation. Including offering loans and subsidies.
But reports say industry watchers are noticing that Jilin's imported solution to the electricity shortage does not include Australia. Previously this country had been a major supplier of steam coal to China.
Previously, China's factory activity shrank due to restrictions on the use of electricity, raising many concerns about the fate of the world's second-largest economy.
A survey released Thursday (30/9/2021), as quoted by the Guardian, showed China's factory activity contracted in September. This is the first time this has happened to China since the pandemic hit in February 2020.
The figures show that output is falling due to a slowdown in production in high energy-consuming industries. One of them is like a factory that processes metals and oil products. The sub-index also highlighted the decline in new orders, employment, and new export orders.
China's electricity crisis comes as the country's energy demand surges past pre-pandemic levels. However, restrictions on coal imports from Australia due to political disputes have put pressure on the supply of this commodity.
