The Czech Republic has successfully reduced its dependence on Russian oil and natural gas, with pipeline gas imports ceasing in January and oil imports set to end by summer, according to Vaclav Bartuska, the country’s special envoy for energy security. In an interview with BIRN, Bartuska, who will step down as Czechia’s ambassador-at-large on energy after 19 years, explained that Czechia has gone the furthest among former communist states in Central Europe to cut reliance on Russian energy supplies.
The country has taken several steps to reduce this dependency, including diversifying its gas sources. Since 1997, Czechia has bought Norwegian gas through Germany and more recently secured Algerian gas, which is imported via Italy. The Norwegian contract, which had expired, is now being renegotiated, while the Algerian contract, which currently covers 2% of Czech gas consumption, could be ramped up quickly to supply 20% if needed. Czechia also privatized its gas industry in the 2000s and switched to Rotterdam’s TTF pricing system in 2009, meaning Czech officials no longer negotiate gas prices directly with Moscow.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Czechia took further steps to secure its energy supply, including renting liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal capacity in Rotterdam in June 2022. Additionally, the government acquired German energy group RWE’s stake in the Damborice gas storage facility, ensuring that the country meets the EU requirement to store 90% of its gas consumption before winter. As a result, Czechia was unaffected when Ukraine ceased Russian gas transit through the Brotherhood pipeline in January 2023.
Bartuska highlighted that the country’s transition to energy independence from Russia was already largely complete by the end of 2022, reducing its reliance on Russian gas imports to near zero. However, Russian gas had occasionally been imported at low prices, creating some unwanted publicity for the government. With these measures in place, Czechia is now better positioned to face energy challenges without relying on Russian supplies.
