From reactive to autonomous: Lichtwart and Orlen on the gas station of the future
>How can gas station locations continue to be operated economically and reliably in the future? Simon Annuseit, Head of Maintenance and Construction at Orlen Deutschland, along with Johannes Mailänder and Jackson Bond from Lichtwart, discussed this topic.
“Quick show of hands: How many of you have ever been called in the middle of the night because something went wrong at a location?” When this question was posed during the “International Forum 2026” lecture series at Uniti expo, numerous hands shot up in the audience. That was exactly where the session “The Autonomous Fuel Station” began—not with a product presentation, but with a reality that operators face every day.
Simon Annuseit, Technical Director at Orlen Deutschland, along with Johannes Mailänder and Jackson Bond from Lichtwart, discussed how gas station locations—both unmanned automated stations and traditional roadside stations—can be operated more intelligently, efficiently, and increasingly autonomously in the future. It quickly became clear: This wasn’t about the next “AI battle,” highly complex technology projects, or a buzzword-filled presentation. Instead, the focus was on a simple question: How can increasingly complex locations still be operated economically and reliably in the future?
Rising Costs, Skills Shortages, and Operational Complexity
Orlen operates approximately 600 sites in Germany alone. The challenges of day-to-day operations are correspondingly significant. Rising energy and operating costs, increasing regulatory requirements, and skills shortages are putting pressure on operators across Europe. Above all, providing technical support for so many dispersed sites is becoming increasingly difficult. At the same time, expectations regarding availability, speed, and service quality are rising. “The pump isn’t working.” This phrase was not mentioned on stage by chance. After all, it is precisely such fault reports that continue to define the daily routine of technical teams in many places.
The discussion therefore focused less on individual technologies and sensors and more on three key operational questions:
- How can operating costs be reduced?
- How can the burden on technical teams be alleviated?
- How can greater transparency, compliance, and control over complex infrastructure be achieved?
Almost at the Speed of Light
What was remarkable was the speed at which Orlen and Lichtwart collaborated. The parties involved had only met a few months earlier at the Uniti Gas Station Technology Forum in Ulm. Within a very short time, those initial discussions gave rise to a real retrofit project in Berlin. Less than three months passed from their first meeting to the installation going live. For corporations of this size, that’s almost at the speed of light.
For many attendees of the session, this was precisely one of the most surprising moments. Instead of years of conceptualization and planning, a real-world site emerged featuring intelligent remote monitoring, automated processes, and operational transparency. And all of this right in the heart of the nation’s capital. The message behind it: Not sometime in the future. But right now.
Berlin as a Real-World Laboratory for Autonomous Sites
The Berlin site was therefore a recurring focus of the session. Not as a glossy showcase project, but as a real-world “living lab.” The presentation featured actual before-and-after images, real-world operational processes, and concrete experiences from implementation. Rather than theoretical visions, the focus was on practical changes in everyday operations:
- fewer unnecessary service trips,
- faster response times,
- greater transparency,
- reduced operational stress,
- and more opportunities for remote control of technical infrastructure.
A brief live look at the Berlin dashboard also demonstrated how sites can already be monitored and controlled remotely today. The session deliberately stayed close to operational reality. Because, as was heard repeatedly in the aisles of the exhibition halls: “Nobody wants another dashboard. Operators want fewer problems.”
The division of roles on stage was clear: Orlen explained the “why,” while Lichtwart demonstrated the “how.” Instead of corporate jargon, the focus was on real-world experiences and honest insights. Orlen was clearly positioned as the strategic driver of the development, while Lichtwart served as the technical enabler and implementation partner, including installation.
This point was deliberately left open
Whether autonomous gas stations will actually become the new industry standard was deliberately left open. One thing became clear, however: some operators are already putting them into practice. The presentation at the international Uniti Expo thus focused less on products and solutions and more on providing a real-world glimpse into an industry that is currently undergoing visible change.