Czech Republic should end use of Russian oil, minister says
The Czech Republic should finally stop receiving Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, Industry Minister Lukáš Vlček said on Monday.
He told the public television channel CT that the final decision lies with the refinery operator Orlen Unipetrol, which has been under Polish ownership since 2005.
No Russian oil has been flowing through the Druzhba pipeline to the Czech Republic since March 4. According to earlier reports, this is because of payment problems due to the US sanctions imposed on Russian banks because of the war in Ukraine.
Orlen Unipetrol is taking steps to diversify and has already placed orders for oil deliveries from the North Sea and other production areas, Vlček said.
The government in Prague has also made up to 330,000 tons of oil from the state reserves available on loan, which will cover demand for around 90 days, he added.
For decades, the Druzhba pipeline, which was built while the country was under socialist rule, formed the backbone of the Czech Republic's oil supply, running from the Russian oil fields to Central Europe.
The Czech Republic, along with Slovakia and Hungary, was granted a temporary exemption from the European Union's ban on Russian oil imports in order to give it time to develop alternative supply routes. The country may now be able to end its dependence on Russian oil sooner than planned.
The Transalpine Pipeline (TAL), which supplies Central Europe with crude oil from the port of Trieste in northern Italy, could provide an alternative supply. Its capacity has recently been increased as part of the TAL-Plus project.
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