Czech Republic's need for Russian oil ended by pipeline upgrade

Upgrades to boost the capacity for oil deliveries to the Czech Republic via the TAL pipeline are complete, ending the country's need to import Russian crude, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said, Report informs via Reuters.

The Czech Republic has worked to wean itself off Russian oil and gas since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Already the country had no direct contracts with Russian gas suppliers. Now the TAL pipeline has the capacity to meet all of its oil demand, it need no longer rely on the Druzhba pipeline from the east, which previously delivered half of its supplies.

"This is a crucial moment for the Czech Republic because Russia can no longer blackmail us with (energy supplies)," Fiala said.

The upgrades to the Trans Alpine (TAL) pipeline, running from Italy to Germany before feeding into a connector, double the capacity available for the Czech Republic to 8 million metric tons a year, enough for its annual needs.

Testing and certification must be completed, but Fiala said the country could already rely on TAL should there be any disruption of Russian flows through the Druzhba pipeline that has supplied the Czech Republic for six decades.