The Czech Republic may begin importing oil from Ukraine by the end of this year. According to information from Czech media, the issue of supplying Ukrainian oil is actively being discussed between Kyiv and Prague. The Polish energy company Orlen, which owns refineries in the Czech Republic, has also joined the dialogue.
This is reported by Business • Media
Ukrainian Initiative and Orlen’s Interest
The proposal was initiated by Ukraine, as most of its oil refineries have been destroyed due to Russian strikes. Consequently, processing oil domestically is currently nearly impossible, and halting production is technically unfeasible due to its connection with natural gas extraction, which is necessary for industry and heating.
For Orlen, purchasing Ukrainian oil is not only commercially advantageous due to its lower price but also a way to support Ukraine. The project is also backed by the Czech pipeline company Mero, which sees it as an opportunity to reuse the Czech section of the Druzhba pipeline—this route has been idle since the Czech Republic ceased importing Russian oil.
Potential Volumes and Technical Feasibility of the Project
The volumes of potential supplies could range from 75,000 to 100,000 tons per month. This amounts to about 15% of the annual oil consumption in the Czech Republic, which is approximately 7 million tons, as well as up to 20% of the capacity of the Litvínov refinery.
The Slovak pipeline company Transpetrol has also confirmed that it has been approached regarding the possible transportation of Ukrainian oil. According to experts, Ukrainian oil is similar in composition to Russian oil, so organizing its transportation to the Czech Republic is not technically complicated.
“The proposal was initiated by Ukraine, as almost all of its refineries have been destroyed by Russian strikes, and there is virtually nowhere for Ukraine to process its own oil. Stopping production is not possible, as it is technically linked to the extraction of natural gas, which is needed for industry and heating.”