Apr 18, 2025
The Czech Republic is set to stop importing Russian crude oil following the upgrade of the TAL pipeline.
The Czech Republic is poised to end its long-standing reliance on Russian oil with the launch of its expanded Trans-Alpine pipeline, as announced by Prime Minister Petr Fiala on April 17. At a press conference at the Nelahozeves oil storage facility, he confirmed that the first crude shipment to use the upgraded pipeline arrived on April 16.
The initial cargo from the North Sea was delivered to Trieste, Italy, in March and is now on its way to the Litvinov refinery, managed by Orlen Unipetrol. Approximately 750,000 barrels of Norway's Johan Sverdrup crude were offloaded in Trieste on March 29, marking the first delivery through the expanded TAL pipeline into Germany, which links to the IKL pipeline supplying Czech refineries.
The expansion of the TAL-Plus pipeline was essential for the Czech Republic to stop importing Russian oil, which has continued to reach Orlen Unipetrol through the Druzhba pipeline system despite most of its European neighbors halting imports. Although EU sanctions on Russian oil in 2022 allowed some pipeline deliveries, the Czech Republic has faced increasing pressure to cut ties with Russian oil.
The new pipeline is expected to approximately double the capacity of the TAL and IKL connections, providing around 8 million metric tons per year and meeting all domestic refining requirements. Zbynek Stanjura of Mero stated that the Czech Republic's energy landscape has significantly changed.
Orlen Unipetrol's CEO, Mariusz Wnuk, announced that the company received its first Norwegian crude through the TAL-Plus pipeline and expects the crude to arrive at Litvinov by April 18. They plan to start processing this oil the following week and have secured additional overseas crude supplies.
Initially scheduled for a July 1 launch, the pipeline's timeline was expedited in March after Russian oil flows to the Czech Republic were unexpectedly halted due to payment issues linked to U.S. sanctions. Without the TAL-Plus connection, Orlen Unipetrol had to withdraw 330,000 metric tons of oil from state reserves to maintain operations at its refineries, marking its fourth withdrawal in a year.
The TAL-Plus modernization project, costing $70.2 million, was mechanically completed in January and is expected to become the primary import route for Czech refineries. Mero is now exploring options to further utilize the Druzhba pipeline for non-Russian oil shipments.
Despite progress in redirecting crude supplies, the Czech Republic still depends on fuel imports, often sourced from Russian materials. Orlen Unipetrol's refining capacity can only meet about two-thirds of domestic fuel demand, necessitating imports. Slovakia has been a vital fuel import source, yet its continued dependence on Russian oil complicates Czech efforts to eliminate such practices.
In December, the EU granted the Czech Republic a six-month waiver to keep importing fuel made from Russian crude, allowing continued purchases from Slovakia's Bratislava refinery. While Czech officials see no reason to extend this waiver, Slovakia has requested flexibility. In February 2025, the Slovnaft refinery in Slovakia signed a one-year deal to import 2 million metric tons of crude via the Adria pipeline, its alternative link to the Druzhba system, but high pipeline costs hinder a long-term agreement. The Hungarian parent company MOL indicated that its refineries may not be prepared to operate without Russian crude until at least 2026.
The initial cargo from the North Sea was delivered to Trieste, Italy, in March and is now on its way to the Litvinov refinery, managed by Orlen Unipetrol. Approximately 750,000 barrels of Norway's Johan Sverdrup crude were offloaded in Trieste on March 29, marking the first delivery through the expanded TAL pipeline into Germany, which links to the IKL pipeline supplying Czech refineries.
The expansion of the TAL-Plus pipeline was essential for the Czech Republic to stop importing Russian oil, which has continued to reach Orlen Unipetrol through the Druzhba pipeline system despite most of its European neighbors halting imports. Although EU sanctions on Russian oil in 2022 allowed some pipeline deliveries, the Czech Republic has faced increasing pressure to cut ties with Russian oil.
The new pipeline is expected to approximately double the capacity of the TAL and IKL connections, providing around 8 million metric tons per year and meeting all domestic refining requirements. Zbynek Stanjura of Mero stated that the Czech Republic's energy landscape has significantly changed.
Orlen Unipetrol's CEO, Mariusz Wnuk, announced that the company received its first Norwegian crude through the TAL-Plus pipeline and expects the crude to arrive at Litvinov by April 18. They plan to start processing this oil the following week and have secured additional overseas crude supplies.
Initially scheduled for a July 1 launch, the pipeline's timeline was expedited in March after Russian oil flows to the Czech Republic were unexpectedly halted due to payment issues linked to U.S. sanctions. Without the TAL-Plus connection, Orlen Unipetrol had to withdraw 330,000 metric tons of oil from state reserves to maintain operations at its refineries, marking its fourth withdrawal in a year.
The TAL-Plus modernization project, costing $70.2 million, was mechanically completed in January and is expected to become the primary import route for Czech refineries. Mero is now exploring options to further utilize the Druzhba pipeline for non-Russian oil shipments.
Despite progress in redirecting crude supplies, the Czech Republic still depends on fuel imports, often sourced from Russian materials. Orlen Unipetrol's refining capacity can only meet about two-thirds of domestic fuel demand, necessitating imports. Slovakia has been a vital fuel import source, yet its continued dependence on Russian oil complicates Czech efforts to eliminate such practices.
In December, the EU granted the Czech Republic a six-month waiver to keep importing fuel made from Russian crude, allowing continued purchases from Slovakia's Bratislava refinery. While Czech officials see no reason to extend this waiver, Slovakia has requested flexibility. In February 2025, the Slovnaft refinery in Slovakia signed a one-year deal to import 2 million metric tons of crude via the Adria pipeline, its alternative link to the Druzhba system, but high pipeline costs hinder a long-term agreement. The Hungarian parent company MOL indicated that its refineries may not be prepared to operate without Russian crude until at least 2026.