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The Czech Republic may become completely independent of Russian oil supplies earlier than planned. The country has not been receiving raw materials through the Druzhba pipeline for four weeks, which paves the way for a final break with oil dependence on Russia. This was reported on 24 March by dpa with reference to Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček.
“We have already taken important steps towards full diversification of supplies. It is only a matter of time before we finally stop importing Russian oil,” the minister said on ČT TV.
New sources – the North Sea and Trieste
Oil supplies are now ensured by contracts for production in the North Sea and other reliable sources, Vlček said. At the same time, the Czech government has temporarily provided Orlen Unipetrol with up to 330,000 tonnes of oil from the state reserve, which is enough to operate for three months.
“Friendship” is no longer the basis
Since 4 March, Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline have been suspended. Officially, the reason was the inability to make payments due to US sanctions against Russian banks. The pipeline, which was built in Soviet times, has been the main source of supply for the Czech Republic, as well as Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Germany for decades.
However, the Czech Republic, like some other Central European countries, received a temporary exemption from the EU embargo on Russian oil to give it time to rebuild its logistics.
An alternative from Italy
A key component of the new energy strategy is the infrastructure of the Transalpine Oil Pipeline (TAL), which transports oil from the Italian port of Trieste to Central Europe. Its capacity has been increased as part of the TAL-Plus project, and now, according to representatives of the Czech company Mero, it is sufficient to fully cover the needs of both Czech refineries.
The end of an era
This step could be a symbolic end to the era of Czech energy dependence on Russia. According to analysts, if Druzhba is finally abandoned, Prague will not only strengthen its energy security, but will also set an example for other countries in the region that are gradually reducing ties with the Russian energy market.
