Orlen cuts wholesale fuel prices as Polish retail petrol and diesel hit new peaks

Wholesale price cuts at Orlen

PKN Orlen reduced its domestic wholesale fuel prices on 30 September 2026, bringing both petrol and diesel to their lowest wholesale levels in over two weeks. Eurosuper 95 fell to 6,141 PLN per cubic metre net (approximately 7.55 PLN per litre with VAT), down 328 PLN or 32 groszy per litre compared to 25 September. Ekodiesel dropped to 7,255 PLN per cubic metre net (around 8.92 PLN per litre with VAT), a reduction of 228 PLN or 22 groszy per litre from Friday's level. Super plus Pb98 decreased to 6,936 PLN per cubic metre, down 355 PLN or 35 groszy per litre from 25 September.

On a single-day basis, Pb95 dropped by 12 groszy per litre and diesel by 11 groszy per litre. Across September, Pb95 had peaked at 6,473 PLN per cubic metre on 16 September, while diesel reached 7,563 PLN per cubic metre on 17 September. Orlen commented on the volatility in wholesale markets:

Wholesale prices follow global fuel quotations, which have more than doubled since March. As a result, the wholesale price of diesel has changed more than 180 times this year, moving both up and down.

Retail prices and pump infrastructure

Wholesale reductions have not yet brought relief to retail drivers, who faced elevated pump prices across Poland on 30 September 2026. Weekly data compiled by e-petrol.pl showed average retail prices for Pb95 petrol rising 20 groszy to 8.19 PLN per litre, while diesel climbed 16 groszy to 9.14 PLN per litre. Autogas increased 8 groszy over the week to reach 3.22 PLN per litre. The retail increases followed the expiration of the government CPN fuel shield program on 1 September, which had temporarily reduced VAT from 23% to 8% and imposed price caps between 17 and 31 August.

With prices approaching double digits, retail fuel networks have completed technical adjustments. Unimot chief executive Adam Sikorski told Money.pl that most fuel stations are prepared for prices exceeding 10 PLN per litre. Orlen began upgrading price pylons in 2022 to accommodate four-digit displays, requiring display hardware additions and controller updates.

Political clash over fuel subsidies

The surge in retail fuel prices triggered political friction between the government and the presidency. Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański called on President Karol Nawrocki to sign legislation imposing a windfall tax on fuel corporations to fund a renewed "Ceny Paliwa Niżej" subsidy program. The bill was approved without amendments by the Senate in late September, but Nawrocki had previously referred a similar windfall tax bill to the Constitutional Tribunal in July.

President Karol Nawrocki should sign without unnecessary delay the act that will provide us with funds to finance lower fuel prices at Polish petrol stations.

Global refining bottlenecks and supply

The domestic price pressures reflect global fuel market constraints, especially in diesel processing. While JPMorgan tracked 10-day average Middle East crude oil exports climbing to 17.5 million barrels per day (98% of the volume recorded prior to the regional conflict that began in late February) and loadings resumed at the Saudi port of Yanbu, refining margins remain high. On 30 September, Brent crude for November delivery traded at $103.43 per barrel on ICE, while West Texas Intermediate stood at $89.66 per barrel on NYMEX. Processing capacity remains curtailed by Middle East transit disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Russian refinery issues, and Chinese export limits, while discussions in Washington regarding a potential ban on United States diesel exports added upward pressure to global wholesale margins.