Essar to supply 47 Harvest forecourts in the UK

Harvest dealers have faced significant challenges since Lindsey’s closure earlier this year.

Essar Energy Transition (EET) will take over fuel deliveries to 47 dealer-owned forecourts across the UK previously supplied by Harvest Energy, in a move aimed at stabilizing supply following months of disruption triggered by the closure of the Prax Lindsey oil refinery.

Under the agreement, EET’s retail arm will supply petrol and diesel to affected sites using its Stanlow refinery and a network of terminals in Kingsbury, Northampton, Essex and Grangemouth. The company says the move will provide greater security and continuity of supply amid growing concerns over the resilience of the UK’s shrinking refining capacity.

Harvest dealers have faced significant challenges since Lindsey’s closure earlier this year, with some reporting sudden delivery cancellations, financial losses and forced spot-market purchases. The disruption has sparked anger among independent retailers and raised questions about the vulnerability of Britain’s fuel supply chain, now reliant on just four major refineries.

The deal marks a strategic expansion for EET Retail, which aims to grow its network of Essar-branded service stations as part of a partnership-led strategy. Analysts say the agreement highlights how vertically integrated suppliers like Essar, with refining, distribution and retail capabilities, are increasingly central to securing fuel supply in an era of consolidation and transition.

The development could also signal broader changes in the sector, with independent dealers potentially becoming more reliant on major players as the UK’s downstream fuel infrastructure contracts and shifts towards low-carbon alternatives.