Prime Minister Fiala: The Czech Republic Has Definitively Freed Itself from Dependence on Russian Oil
The Czech Republic is for the first time in history being supplied exclusively with non-Russian oil, via the western route through the TAL and IKL pipelines. The first increased deliveries of non-Russian oil have already arrived from the Italian tanker terminal in Trieste to the Central Oil Tank Farm in Nelahozeves, from where it will be transported to the Litvínov refinery. The supply of non-Russian oil to the Czech Republic is made possible by the TAL-PLUS project, which has increased the capacity of the European TAL pipeline. The completion of this project and its implementation were announced at a press conference by the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, the Minister of Finance, Zbyněk Stanjura, and the CEO of MERO ČR, Jaroslav Pantůček.
The TAL-PLUS project has increased the transport capacity of the European TAL pipeline, allowing the Czech Republic to receive up to 8 million tonnes of oil annually via the western route. This fully covers the country's annual needs. The increased deliveries of non-Russian oil that have arrived at the Central Oil Tank Farm in Nelahozeves will now fully replace the suspended deliveries of Russian oil from the Druzhba pipeline without any issues.
"We have completed another step on the path towards our energy independence. Thanks to the TAL-PLUS project, which our government has implemented, we are now able to supply the Czech Republic exclusively with non-Russian oil via the western route. After almost sixty years, our dependence on the Druzhba pipeline is ending, and Russia can no longer blackmail us by stopping supplies. This is an important milestone in strengthening the security of our country and protecting the interests of all citizens," stated Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The Prime Minister also thanked MERO and all those involved in the TAL-PLUS project for its successful implementation.
The decision to implement the TAL-PLUS project was made by Petr Fiala's government in autumn 2022. In May 2023, an implementation agreement was signed between MERO and the TAL consortium. In January 2025, construction work on expanding the TAL pipeline was successfully completed.
"I am pleased that the strategic decision to ensure independence from Russian oil for the Czech Republic, which we made as a government 2.5 years ago, has been symbolically completed in record time with the arrival of the first deliveries of non-Russian oil intended for processing at the ORLEN Unipetrol refinery in Litvínov at the central oil tank farm in Nelahozeves. Thanks to the increased capacity of the TAL pipeline, our country is now prepared for dominant supply with non-Russian oil exclusively via the western route. We no longer need to fear Russia's blackmailing resource policy and Putin's threats that oil from the east will stop flowing to us," added Minister of Finance Zbyněk Stanjura.
Already this afternoon, MERO will begin transporting the oil to its owner, ORLEN Unipetrol, to the refinery in Litvínov.
