Valencia Fuelskandal «Euro Weekly News

In Alaquàs, a city outside of Valencia, the drivers filled their tanks in good faith – just to take a standstill within a few minutes. At first it seemed to be a bad start, but when more and more vehicles were quiet and refusing, it became clear that something was wrong with the fuel.

By the end of April, over 100 drivers had reported extensive damage to this individual petrol station after refueling. The common culprit? Water -controlled gasoline. Yes, and that hurts the mechanical functions of a car. The real story reduces even deeper: trust, regulation and the invisible limit between risk and affordability.

A collapse both literally and systemic

This had an impact on a single petrol station, part of Ballenoil, an inexpensive fuel provider with dozens of locations in Spain. For drivers who are exposed to inflation and rising fuel prices today, stations such as this are safe ports and welcome releases. But the incident with Alaquàs broke this trust. Water in the fuel is no coincidence that occurs accidentally. Regardless of whether it is checks due to poor storage, incorrect tank seals or lax checks, the result is the same.

What's the score? Broken engines, expensive repairs and angry customers. A few car owners now have invoices over € 600 for repairs that they had never expected. But it's not about the money, as a resident 20 Minutos said: “You go in, you pay, you trust.” Then you have a dead car and no answer, which should inform you that a violation of trust is difficult to repair.

How did that happen?

After science, the answer is quite simple: water is heavier than gasoline and it settles on the bottom of the warehouse tanks. If the fuel is pumped, especially with high demand, it can set up this water. When water gets into an internal combustion engine, it remains not only a standstill, but in most cases destroyed. The bigger question is, Why does the station contaminated output fuel? Most reputable providers have systems to recognize water levels in their tanks.

If you work properly, the pumps should automatically switch off. If this is not the case, you will start a disaster like this. Ballenoil explained that they will cover the costs for repairs for the affected customers. However, many drivers believe that this is not sufficient, and a major collective complaint is currently being submitted to inform the national police in Spain to examine whether this was negligence or whether the station's monitoring system failed.

The price for cheap

Low cheap fuel is popular in Spain, especially according to high energy price peaks, inflation and the economic consequences of COVID-19, and most providers work well. This incident emphasizes a true, painful truth: If the systems are broken down to offer low prices, an supervision will occur.

It can indicate fewer employees, cheaper tank structure and fewer tests. Whatever the reason may be, the result will be the same – corners were cut. The consumer pays and sometimes it is an engine or sometimes your livelihood. This does not mean that cheap fuel is risky, but cheap systems require strong checks.

What has to change?

This scandal will pass, but the station in question can be fined. And the drivers receive reimbursement. The next time someone comes to a pump, will they feel safe or careful that they could also happen to them? In order to rebuild the trust, fuel providers have to make more than public apologies. You have to:

• FirstIncrease the frequency and transparency of the fuel quality tests to ensure stability.
• SecondMade water recognition systems mandatory and require you to be checked independently.
• ThirdConsumers should understand their protection and how to use them when something like this is created.

In Spain and most of Europe, we are a matter of course that it is usually safe when we buy fuel. That this is monitored, regulated and reliable. If this promise breaks, it can confuse more than just engines and destroy self -confidence in everyday systems. What happened in Alaquàs is not a local unique misfortune.

It is a wake -up call and reminds us that the prices fluctuate and the systems are thinly distributed, but the supervision is not an option. It is the only thing that keeps the machine going.