Croatian pipeline operator JANAF and Hungary’s MOL Group have formalised a take-or-pay agreement covering the transportation of 2.05 million tonnes of crude oil during 2026, giving Central European refineries a contracted alternative to the increasingly uncertain Druzhba route.
The agreement applies from 1 January to 31 December 2026. Under its take-or-pay structure, MOL must pay for reserved pipeline capacity even when it transports less than the contracted volume. The arrangement gives JANAF greater revenue visibility while ensuring that MOL retains access to infrastructure linking the Adriatic coast with its refining system.
The contract follows prolonged disagreement over tariffs and technical capacity. MOL argued that JANAF’s transportation charges were excessive and questioned whether the Croatian system could reliably supply the volumes required by its refineries. JANAF maintained that its tariff methodology was transparent, distance-based and applied equally to customers, with lower unit charges available for larger capacity reservations.
The dispute has acquired strategic importance because Ukraine’s restrictions on Russian crude transit have weakened the security of the Druzhba pipeline. The Adriatic route, beginning at the Omišalj terminal on the island of Krk, has consequently become an increasingly important diversification corridor for Hungary and Slovakia.
The commercial agreement does not eliminate the underlying political disagreement. Hungarian officials have accused Croatia of using regional supply insecurity to impose high transit fees, while Zagreb has rejected the claim and presented JANAF’s charges as normal commercial pricing for a system requiring maintenance, storage and capacity investment.
For JANAF, the contract strengthens throughput and reduces the risk of underutilised infrastructure. Take-or-pay revenue can support maintenance and potential upgrades, but future investment will depend on whether Central European refiners commit to the Adriatic route beyond short-term geopolitical necessity.
MOL must balance the security value of diversified supply against the higher logistics costs of importing crude through the Mediterranean. Refineries designed around Russian-grade crude may also require blending, technical adjustments and changes to their product yields when processing alternative feedstocks.
The agreement therefore represents more than a pipeline booking. It is part of the gradual repricing of Central European energy security, in which redundancy and non-Russian access carry a direct commercial cost. JANAF’s negotiating position has strengthened because the Adriatic route is no longer merely a secondary option; it is becoming part of the essential infrastructure supporting Hungary’s and Slovakia’s refinery operations.
