Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stated that JANAF offers oil transport prices comparable to major European pipelines and is fully capable of supplying all crude oil required by MOL’s refineries in Szazhalombatta, Hungary, and Bratislava, Slovakia. He added that JANAF is open to negotiating transport tariffs with its Hungarian partner.
Plenkovic made the remarks ahead of a planned meeting between JANAF and MOL representatives, expressing confidence that the Croatian company would defend its commercial interests while seeking a mutually beneficial agreement.
He highlighted Croatia’s extensive energy infrastructure as strategically important for both national and regional needs. JANAF has the capacity to transport up to 15 million tons of crude oil annually, sufficient to cover the full requirements of MOL’s refineries. The pipeline currently supplies around 95% of the crude oil needs for Serbia’s Pancevo refinery, which is majority-owned by Russian companies and subject to US sanctions. Plenkovic expressed optimism that the ownership issues at Pancevo will soon be resolved.
The Prime Minister also disclosed that he requested European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to deploy energy experts to assess JANAF’s technical capabilities, ensuring the company can meet MOL’s transport demands before formal commercial negotiations over pricing begin.
