Reconstructed Adria pipeline to bring Slovakia more oil from Adriatic Sea

The reconstructed Adria oil pipeline was opened by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban in southwestern Slovakia on Monday.

The investment, costing a total of 70 million euros (79.4 million U.S. dollars), allows oil to be transported to Slovakia from the Adriatic Sea. The pipeline was constructed in 1989.

The Adria reconstruction project has increased potential capacity in the Slovak direction from 3.5 million tonnes of oil per year to 6 million tonnes. The Hungarian part of the pipeline, with two existing booster pump stations reconstructed, has seen its capacity increased from 10 million tonnes of oil per year to 14 million tonnes, according to reports.

Experts said the reconstruction of the pipeline is important to strengthen energy security in central Europe. The pipeline has become a full-fledged alternative for oil supply from the Adriatic for refineries in Hungary, Slovakia and partially in the Czech Republic.

According to energy analyst Jozef Badida, it also creates a back-up marketplace for administrators of pipeline networks in the region by transporting oil from the Druzba pipeline via Slovakia and Hungary to countries along the Adriatic Sea.

"This means that Slovakia will theoretically have the option of accessing oil supplies from a different source than Russia, even if this would be more expensive. Oil could be supplied by tanker from Libya, Saudi Arabia or Iraq," added Badida. Endit