German tank storage operator TanQuid must sell its stake in a pipeline company that operates critical defence systems, following its controversial takeover by a US company, according to a letter from the Economy Ministry.

TanQuid is required to sell its 49% stake in pipeline operator FBG, which is responsible for running federally owned pipeline systems used by Germany’s armed forces and NATO, said the letter, which was sent to the Economic Committee in the Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament.

This must be done in a timely manner and forms part of the conditions under which the Economy Ministry authorized the acquisition of TanQuid by US company Sunoco LP.

The ministry’s letter said the pipeline systems in question are solely owned by the federal government, while FBG is responsible for their operational management. The government’s 51% stake in the company already gives it ‘access rights and the ability to influence the operation of the pipeline systems at any time,’ it added.

On its website, TanQuid states that Sunoco successfully completed its acquisition on January 16, 2026.