Estonia seeks more stores to join emergency preparedness network
Estonia has 60 emergency-ready gas stations and 79 stores equipped with generators in case of a power outage. By the end of the year, the number of such stores is expected to reach 110.
Estonia has more than 550 gas stations, around 10 percent of which have now been designated emergency-ready gas stations. Compared with other gas stations, they maintain larger fuel reserves and have generators for use in an emergency, Priit Ploompuu, a member of the management board of the Estonian Stockpiling Agency, said.
"We can say that already today there are around 60 gas stations with enhanced emergency preparedness that are able to dispense fuel during a power outage. That is more than 10 percent of all gas stations in Estonia. The designation comes with an obligation to maintain a reasonable reserve of fuel in the tanks at an emergency-ready gas station," Ploompuu said.
Estonia is expected to have 110 emergency-ready stores by the end of this year, but agreements have so far been signed with 79 stores. More volunteers are therefore needed to join the program and equip their stores with generators provided by the Estonian Stockpiling Agency.
"We have 31 generators waiting, so to speak, and we need partners who are willing to have them connected at their premises," Ploompuu said.
"I would call on all store owners, local government representatives or ordinary people who want an emergency-ready store near them to help move this project forward because we have a procurement process underway that stores can participate in," Ploompuu added.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Mirjam Mäekivi
