SOCAR sets opening date of first fuel station after rebranding in Switzerland
By Gulgiz Dadashova
SOCAR Energy Switzerland, wholly-owned by Azerbaijan's state energy firm SOCAR, plans to open its first gas station following the rebranding in the Swiss district of Kreuzlingen in Lake Constance area.
SOCAR acquired all shares in Esso Schweiz GmbH and thus took over Esso's network of petrol stations in Switzerland in July 2012. Over the next twelve months, the new brand SOCAR is planned to gradually take the place of the Esso brand throughout Switzerland.
The company reported that the official opening of the gas station is scheduled for May 25-26.
In March, SOCAR Energy Switzerland opened a quick charging station for electric vehicles near Bern under the EVite project of the Swiss eMobility Association.
The company reported that charging at the new station, located on road A-1, takes about 20 minutes and is available free of charge.
The EVite project, which was launched in Bern last November, involves creating a charging infrastructure for electric vehicles throughout Switzerland and accelerating the electric mobility market development in the country.
As one of the main partners of the EVite project, SOCAR will support construction and operation of stations for the fast charging of electric vehicles in Switzerland.
SOCAR started its operation in Switzerland in September 2012 with commissioning its first petrol station in Zurich. In December, the first gas station under the SOCAR brand was opened in western Switzerland.
The company reports that by mid-2013 more than 160 gas stations under the SOCAR brand will operate in Switzerland.
SOCAR sells classic fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel in Switzerland. However, they are enriched with special additives that ensure optimal level of combustion which is important from an environmental point of view and in terms of the cost and performance of the internal combustion engine of the car.
SOCAR has also taken over the Wangen-Olten gas station, and a number of gas stations and joint ventures specializing in aircraft fuelling at the Geneva and Zurich airports, as well as a Swiss company that controls joint ventures managing terminals and pipelines.