Czech Republic to boost capacity of TAL pipeline to avoid oil supplies via Druzhba from Russia

BERLIN. May 11 (Interfax) - The Czech Republic intends to reduce its dependence on oil supplies via Russia's Druzhba pipeline by boosting capacity of the TAL transalpine pipeline in 2024, the EFE news agency reports, citing a statement from Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

"The MERO pipeline operator and the TAL consortium have reached an agreement on a project [to expand the capacity of the oil pipeline], which should be completed in 2024," Fiala said after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The TAL pipeline connects Trieste, Italy, where oil tankers arrive from all over the world, with Germany, from where oil is transported to the Czech Republic via the IKL pipeline. The Czech Republic needs to import 7-8 million tonnes of oil per year, half of which is supplied via the Druzhba pipeline, and the other half is supplied via the IKL pipeline.

Meloni in turn said that, "Europe must not be energy dependent."