Czechia upgrades oil pipeline to end oil dependence on Russia

This was reported by TVP, Ukrinform saw.

The upgraded TAL oil pipeline, which transports oil from a sea terminal in the Italian port of Trieste, will allow the Czech Republic to annually import an additional 4 million metric tons of oil, bringing total annual imports to 8 million. This will be enough to cover the country’s oil demand and sever its ties with Russia.

“This is a crucial moment for the Czech Republic because Russia can no longer blackmail us with energy supplies,” said Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

Thanks to a special exemption from sanctions, made in view of the Czech Republic’s previous dependence on Russian oil, the country has continued to do business with Moscow despite sanctions on Russian oil imposed by the European Union after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Czech Republic previously received about half of its oil, or 4 million metric tons, through the Russian Druzhba pipeline, AP notes.

The Czechs have invested more than 1.5 billion Czech crowns ($61 million) to double the capacity of TAL.

The Czech Republic already stopped importing Russian gas earlier this year.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Czech Republic announced back in November the country did not plan to extend the EU exemption that allows it to import Russian oil.

Now Slovakia and Hungary are the only EU countries that keep receiving oil from Russia. The other 24 EU nations halted all Russian oil imports as part of EU sanctions over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.