Transalpine Pipeline

{{Short description|Oil pipeline between Italy, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic}}

{{Infobox pipeline

| name = Transalpine Pipeline

| type = oil

| map = {{maplink |type=line |frame=yes |plain=yes |frame-align=center |zoom=5}}

| map_caption = Location of Transalpine Pipeline

| country = Italy, Austria, Germany

| coordinates =

| photo = TAL-Brücke01.jpg

| caption =

| operator = The Transalpine Pipeline Company

| partners = OMV, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Ruhr Oel, Eni, BP, ConocoPhillips, Total S.A.

| length_km = 752

| discharge = 43 million tons per year

| direction =

| start = Trieste

| finish = Neustadt an der Donau, Karlsruhe

| est = 1967

| through = Würmlach, Vohburg, Ingolstadt,

| par =

}}

The Transalpine Pipeline (TAL) is a crude oil pipeline, which connects Italy, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic.

History

The feasibility study of the pipeline was carried out by Bechtel in 1963. The pipeline was commissioned in 1967. This time, the construction cost around US$192 million.

In 1972, the pipeline was the target of a Palestine terrorist attack.

In May 2023 the Czech company MERO ČR announced a $73 million expansion to the Transalpine Pipeline that would double capacity to 8 million tons of oil to the Czech Republic, requiring 20 additional pumps and the upgrade of other equipment to pump the oil to 1,500m above sea level, over the alps, with completion scheduled for the end of 2024. The object being to make the Czech Republic independent of Russian oil.{{cite web |title=Czechs Sign Deal To End Dependence On Russian Oil |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/czech-deal-end-dependence-russian-oil/32424460.html |date=23 May 2023}}

Route

The pipeline starts from the marine terminal in Trieste. From Trieste, the pipeline runs {{convert|465|km}} through the Alps to Ingolstadt. From Ingolstadt one {{convert|21|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} pipeline runs to Neustadt an der Donau and another {{convert|266|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} pipeline runs to Karlsruhe. In Vohburg, the Transalpine Pipeline is connected with the Ingolstadt-Kralupy-Litvínov pipeline, which supplies oil refineries in the Czech Republic. It could be used to reverse the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline to supply Slovakia.

{{cite news

| url=https://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/04/15/afx4889540.html

| archive-url=https://archive.today/20110604005958/http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/04/15/afx4889540.html

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=June 4, 2011

| title=Slovakia in talks on reversing flow of Druzhba oil pipeline

| publisher=Government of Croatia

| date=2008-04-15

| accessdate=2008-05-25}}

In Würmlach, Austria, the Adria-Wien Pipeline (AWP) branches off from the Transalpine Pipeline. It supplies the OMV refinery in Schwechat. Through the proposed Bratislava - Schwechat Pipeline it may supply also Slovakia.

In addition to the sea transport, the Pan-European Pipeline, if constructed, will supply the Transalpine Pipeline.

{{cite news

| url=http://www.vlada.hr/en/naslovnica/novosti_i_najave/2007/travanj/potpisana_ministarska_deklaracija_o_peop_u

| title=Ministerial declaration on pan-European oil pipeline signed in Zagreb

| work=Forbes

| date=2007-03-04

| accessdate=2008-05-25}}

{{cite news

| url=http://www.neftegaz.ru/en/press/view/998/

| title=New Pipeline to Pump Caspian Oil to Europe

| author=Bogdan Preda

| publisher=Neftegaz

| date=2004-11-09

| accessdate=2008-05-25}}

Technical features

The diameter of the trunkline between Trieste and Ingolstadt is {{convert|40|in|mm|-1}}. Both sections starting from Ingolstadt are with {{convert|26|in|mm|-1}} in diameter. The pipeline has ten pumping stations. The pipeline system includes tank farms in Trieste and Lenting, Germany. The capacity of the pipeline is approximately 43 million tons of crude oil per year. In 2012 the throughput of the pipeline was 34.9 million tons of crude oil.{{cite web |url=http://www.tal-oil.com/en/tal-group/the-company-in-figures.html |title=The company in figures |website=www.tal-oil.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224234541/http://www.tal-oil.com/en/tal-group/the-company-in-figures.html |archive-date=2012-12-24}}

Pipeline company

The pipeline is owned by the consortium of eight oil companies. The current{{when|date=May 2023}} shareholders are:

OMV (25%)
Shell Plc (24%)
ExxonMobil (16%)
Ruhr Oel (11%)
Eni (10%)
BP (9%)
ConocoPhillips (3%)
Total S.A. (2%)

The Czech unit of PKN Orlen, Unipetrol, is negotiating to buy an about 2% in the pipeline.

{{cite news

| url=https://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/05/07/afx4978536.html

| archive-url=https://archive.today/20110604010010/http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/05/07/afx4978536.html

| url-status=dead

| archive-date=June 4, 2011

| title=Czech Republic negotiating for 2 pct stake in Tal oil pipeline

| work=Forbes

| date=2008-05-07

| accessdate=2008-05-25}}

[https://web.archive.org/web/20220410125045/https://www.tal-oil.com/en/tal-group/company-profile The shareholders of the Group include]: OMV, Shell, Rosneft, ENI, C-BLUE B.V. (Gunvor), ExxonMobil, Mero, Phillips 66/Jet Tankstellen and Total.