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Czech Republic on track to end Russian oil materials from July 2025

The Czech Republic expects to end consumption of Russian oil in July next year after an upgrade to a transalpine pipeline enables it to ramp up shipments from the west, the deputy chairman of the state pipeline company MERO stated on Thursday.

The nation currently sources half its oil requires from Russia but has actually been seeking to end those purchases following Russia's. invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and an EU restriction on the majority of imports of. Russian oil.

The Czech Republic anticipates to start increasing shipments of. petroleum from the west in the 2nd quarter of next year and. to entirely stop deliveries of Russian oil from July, MERO. operations director Zdenek Dundr told Reuters.

If we are able to validate in the very first quarter that all is. ready, then a steady logistical switch of materials will. follow, Dundr said in an interview at MERO's storage center. in Nelahozeves, north of Prague.

The plans are for a complete switch to products of non-Russian. crudes from the 2nd half, he said, adding that July was the. month considered for an end to Russian oil imports.

That will follow MERO's conclusion of a $60 million capacity. upgrade to the Trans Alpine (TAL) pipeline from Italy to Germany. that feeds a port to the Czech Republic, Dundr said,. doubling capacity from the west to 8 million tonnes a year.

At the end of this year, TAL will have the ability to pump at. maximum capacity, which we require to provide the Czech Republic,. Dundr stated.

While the Czech Republic started its diversity procedure. in 1995, building the IKL pipeline linking to TAL in southern. Germany, one of its two refineries owned by Poland's PKN Orlen. has continued to process Russian oil.

Dependence on Russian flows meant the Czech Republic,. Hungary, Slovakia, Germany and Poland were exempt from EU. sanctions on Russian pipeline oil. Germany and Poland have both. because stopped Russian imports, though Slovakia and Hungary have. spoken of keeping the circulations.

Alternative crudes to match Russian oil homes will be. blends of crudes from Latin America, Saudi Arabia and the North. Sea, Dundr stated.

Even after a complete switch from Russian products, he said the. Druzhba pipeline that carries Russian crude westwards will. remain filled with oil and all set as a back-up.

It might potentially be used in the future to carry crudes. from Ukraine or Kazakhstan, or from the Janaf pipeline from. Croatia, he included.

The pipeline might also in theory be adapted for reverse. circulations from west to east to provide Slovakia, Dundr stated, though. this was still a theoretical option.

(source: Reuters)