TotalEnergies to appeal French antitrust fine over Corsica fuel supply
TotalEnergies (TTE) said it will appeal a decision by France’s Competition Authority that fined the company for allegedly restricting access to petroleum product depots in Corsica—an accusation the company firmly disputes after years of investigation.
The regulator’s ruling centers on a 2016 contractual clause governing access to shared oil depots on the island. According to TotalEnergies, the clause allowed depot shareholders priority access but did not block non-shareholder distributors, who could still obtain fuel under separate contractual arrangements. The company insists the Authority failed to demonstrate any measurable anti-competitive impact, either on the local distributor that filed the complaint or on consumers.
The French Competition Authority concluded that the depot-access clause constituted an anti-competitive practice and issued a fine. TotalEnergies argues the finding lacks evidentiary support, noting that the complaining distributor maintained its retail footprint, increased fuel volumes, and sourced product from multiple suppliers throughout the period under review.
The ruling closes a four-year inquiry involving multiple hearings and site inspections. Fuel logistics in Corsica are particularly sensitive due to the island’s geographic isolation, high transport costs, and limited infrastructure. TotalEnergies has been one of Corsica’s main suppliers for six decades and currently operates 47 service stations across the island, including rural sites that depend heavily on stable supply.
The company also highlighted recent fuel-price measures it implemented to support local purchasing power, including a €0.20-per-liter discount in 2022 and a price cap of €1.99 per liter that remains in effect.
TotalEnergies says it “struggles to see” how its behavior could be deemed anti-competitive given the supply dynamics and the absence of consumer harm. The company will challenge the ruling before the Paris Court of Appeal.
In a notable escalation, TotalEnergies warned that the fine is disproportionate relative to the profitability of its Corsican marketing operations. As a result, it has launched a strategic review that could reshape—or potentially curtail—its long-standing downstream presence on the island.
The case comes as European regulators maintain heightened scrutiny over fuel supply chains, market concentration, and pricing practices, especially in island territories where infrastructure constraints can amplify competition concerns. For energy investors, the outcome may influence how multinational suppliers structure joint-infrastructure agreements and regional pricing strategies in constrained markets.
=== Oilprice.com ===
