Oil supplies from Italy to meet Czech Republic's needs, Mero agrees TAL pipeline expansion

Oil supplies from Italy will meet the Czech Republic's needs from 2025, after state-owned company Mero reached an agreement with the TAL consortium to expand the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL). This will end the country's dependence on Russian oil. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said this during a visit today to the central oil storage facility in Nelahozeves, in the Mělník region. According to Fiala, the project, worth 1.6 billion crowns, will increase pipeline capacity for the Czech Republic by four million tonnes of oil a year from the start of that year, making it possible to deliver up to eight million tonnes a year into the country by pipeline. Mero will pay for the pipeline expansion.

The TAL pipeline carries oil from Trieste in Italy to Ingolstadt in Bavaria, from where it continues to the Czech Republic via the IKL pipeline. The Czech Republic currently also receives some of its oil via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia.