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Strona główna Blog Strona 264

True gift from the heart

Mojemiejscenaziemi_1

Anyone who has an idea for a local community initiative can apply for financingto PKN ORLEN. Funding can be obtained under a nationwide grant contest “Myplace on earth”, organised by the ORLEN – GIFT OF THE HEART Foundation.

The total budget of the project is two million zloty. The grants will be awarded for activities in such areas as sports, leisure, health, safety, supporting people in need, art and culture, environmental protection and preserving historical heritage as well as education. The purpose of the contest is to support people in their community initiatives.

Responsible business should support the society. In pursuing numerous CSR projects, PKN ORLEN does not forget about the idea of ‘little homelands’. Particular importance is attached to initiatives that not only help local communities, but also encourage their inhabitants to do something together.

“My place on earth” is a competition addressing people and their needs, and these are best known to those that live and work in a given local community. The contest will finance the most valuable community projects submitted by non-profit organisations with legal personality. 57 grants worth PLN 3 thousand; 116 grants worth PLN 5 thousand; 40 grants worth PLN 7.5 thousand; 50 grants worth PLN 10 thousand; and 30 grants worth PLN 15 thousand will be handed out. The projects will be carried out between 1 November 2018 and 15 June 2019. It should be pointed out that the key target group of the Foundation includes children, especially those deprived of parental care. Ever since its establishment, the Foundation has donated funds to support and develop the most effective forms of foster care, i.e. family foster homes. It organises and finances summer holidays for such facilities, caters to their daily needs and tries to support them during the Christmas season.

The scholarship system, which has recently been an area of the Foundation’s particular focus, offers help to disadvantaged children and teenagers, giving many of them, especially those from rural areas, a chance to accomplish their goals and have a better future.

The Foundation also supports hospitals, hospices and organisations taking care of sick children in need of rehabilitation.

The ORLEN – GIFT FROM THE HEART Foundation pursues educational goals by inspiring and supporting programmes related to children’s safety, especially on their way to and from school. It also supports educational activities of other organisations.

Depending on available resources and received applications, the Foundation also supports activities connected with promoting cultural heritage and national traditions. This important statutory goal is reflected in the Foundation’s contribution to memorial restorations, financing school trips to important historical sites in Poland, anniversary celebrations and commemoration of important figures of both Polish and international history.

In pursuing numerous CSR projects, PKN ORLEN does not forget about theidea of ‘little homelands’.

Green investments

PKN ORLEN focuses on the development of production assets in southern Poland. Hence the decision to build the propylene glycol installation to enable further processing of produced glycerol.

Glycol is widely used in many industries, such as the cosmetics industry. The capacity of the proposed installation is estimated at around 30 thousand tonnes a year. This means that the output of the Trzebinia-based plant will cover up to 75 percent of the product requirement in Poland. In this way, ORLEN Południe will become the first glycol manufacturer in Poland. The related capital expenditure is estimated at more than PLN 200 million.
ORLEN Południe is a pioneer on the domestic market for biofuels and biocomponents and an important player in the biocomponents’ supply chain of the ORLEN Group. Investments in the development of its southern assets allow it not only to strengthen the company’s regional position, but also to successfully adapt to the requirements of the dynamic market, including environmental protection regulations. Last but not least, it is an opportunity for the company to create new jobs and enhance the employees’ skills in new areas.
ORLEN Południe consistently grows its specialist bio-business, focusing on know-how development and a series of optimisation initiatives which form the foundations of the company’s evolution towards a bio-refinery. The use of technical glycerol in glycol production is one of the crucial elements of those activities. Propylene glycol can be used in the manufacture of cosmetics as emulsifying agent and humectant. Therefore, it is used in such products as toothpaste, hand hygiene products, detergents or as the main ingredient of stick deodorants. The company already has a license for this technology. The selection of the contractor is underway. The projected execution timeline is between 2019 and 2021.
PKN ORLEN also commenced an energy investment at the CHP plant ORLEN Południe in Trzebinia, as part of its strategy for developing modern industrial cogeneration. The investment will help reduce fuel consumption and reduce emission standards by 45 percent for sulphur dioxide, by 32 percent for nitrogen dioxide and by 87 percent for dust. New gas boilers will be produced to replace the existing coal-fired boilers. As a result, the material input generating technological steam and electricity at the CHP plant, previously based on coal (98 percent) and fuel oil, will be replaced by coal and gas input (at 50 percent each). This is the optimum model in both technical and economic terms, which allows the company to respond flexibly and adapt its production processes to fluctuating coal and gas prices. What is important is that the investment meets the strict norms for technological steam generation from low-carbon sources, in accordance with RED requirements and the National Indicative Target (NIT) under the climate package.
As part of strengthening the position of ORLEN Południe, some development projects are implemented at the plant in Jedlicze. The company is pursuing preliminary work connected with production of 2nd generation bioethanol. The investment is important in the context of the growing challenges connected with EU directives obligating Poland to use renewable fuels and biocomponents in transport. The investment to be executed in Jedlicze aims mainly at the conversion of straw into 2nd generation biofuels. After examining the raw materials market, letters of intent were signed for the supply of straw as a raw material. In this way, the potential of the local agricultural market in south-eastern Poland will be used. The investment will also utilise the land intended for ORLEN Południe’s investments in Jedlicze. The initiative is currently in the project phase. Analyses are being conducted e.g. with regard to choosing the technology provider.

no 1 in Rzeczpospolita’s List of 500

PKN ORLEN opens Rzeczpospolita’s prestigious ranking of the biggest Polish enterprises. The Group was also the leader in the “Pillars of the Budget” contest.
ORLEN’s first place on Rzeczpospolita’s “List of 500” confirms the company’s special role in the Polish economy. The Group plans to strengthen its position in Poland and abroad, focusing on long-term, sustainable growth and strategic investments, e.g. in petrochemicals or wind energy.
The “List of 500” by Rzeczpospolita is a ranking of the largest Polish companies, published since 1999. It is based on sales revenues generated in the previous year. PKN ORLEN was ranked first on the list for the 19th consecutive time. This year, the top three positions remained unchanged and PKN ORLEN was followed by Jeronimo Martins Polska and PGNiG. The ranking also features other companies from the ORLEN Group: ORLEN Paliwa (10th), Basell Orlen Polyolefins (97th), ANWIL (142nd).
The gala was accompanied by the award ceremony for the “Pillars of the Budget”. This ranking is created based on the amount of paid income tax. This year, PKN ORLEN was leader in the category of non-financial firms.

In this way, ORLEN Południe will become the first glycol manufacturer in Poland. The related capital expenditure is estimated at more than PLN 200 million.

ORLEN Lietuva: profitable cooperation

ORLEN Lietuva is a subsidiary of PKN ORLEN of strategic importance for the entire region. It needs to continue to grow, to leverage its full potential.

PKN ORLEN plans to upgrade the Lithuanian refinery. The investment will boost the plant’s capacity and ensure its efficient operation even in the volatile macroeconomic environment. The Group has already taken steps to further deepen crude processing (increase conversion) at the Mazeikiai Refinery. Following a period of analyses, a contract was concluded with the selected provider of the licence and front-end engineering design for a hydrocracking facility to process vacuum residue at the Lithuanian plant. Deeper conversion is a key factor needed to increase the fuel yield from processed crude.
The cooperation between PKN ORLEN and Lithuanian Railways plays a major role in the context of ORLEN Lietuva’s further development. On 14 August 2018, the heads of both companies, Daniel Obajtek and Mantas Bartuska, signed an agreement on extending the cooperation. It was followed by the symbolic opening of the reconstruction of tracks on the ORLEN Lietuva – Renge line.
In accordance with the cooperation agreement signed in Mazeikiai, ORLEN Lietuva, a Lithuanian company of the ORLEN Group, declared its continued use of the Lithuanian Railways. The parties committed to extend their cooperation to cover freight transport towards the Polish border. ORLEN Lietuva will be shipping several thousand tonnes of product a year on this route. This will enhance the operational flexibility of the ORLEN Group and improve the fuel security of both the Baltic countries and Poland.

Investment of the Century in Lithuania
ORLEN Lietuva received the “Investment of the Century” award during the Polish-Lithuanian Economic Forum organised under the auspices of the Polish President and the Prime Minister of Lithuania. The award was handed over by the Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, who said: “We greatly appreciate ORLEN’s contribution and role in the process of upgrading the refinery in Mažeikiai, where the Group purchased a controlling stake in 2006. It was a fundamental, strategic partnership confirming the Polish government’s support for Lithuania and the energy security of the entire region. The success of AB ORLEN Lietuva is of strategic importance for Lithuania. We are happy that ORLEN Lietuva plans to continue its investment projects in Lithuania”.
ORLEN Lietuva is the largest company, exporter and taxpayer in Lithuania. Since 2006, PKN ORLEN has spent nearly USD 4 billion on the purchase of the refinery in Mažeikiai and further investments in the facility.

Unipetrol joins ORLEN Group

At the beginning of October this year, PKN ORLEN closed the deal to purchase 100 percent of shares in Czech Republic’s Unipetrol.

This means a better use of the resulting synergies and more effective ways to implement optimisation processes within the ORLEN Group. It will also bring tangible benefits to the Czech company, by significantly strengthening its competitive position in the region.
The purpose of the integration process is to create an entity that will operate much more efficiently as a whole and will be better positioned in the competitive market. The Unipetrol acquisition will make the ORLEN Group stronger. Coupled with the planned takeover of LOTOS Group, it will allow it to compete more successfully on the demanding European market.
The closing of the Unipetrol acquisition is a major step on the path towards further growth of the ORLEN Group. One of its strategic goals is to intensify production in the company’s petrochemical arm, with the construction of the polyethylene (PE3) unit in Litvinov as the key project in this area. This production unit will significantly strengthen Unipetrol’s position in the dynamic petrochemical sector both in the Czech Republic and at group level.
The share acquisition process was conducted in accordance with applicable Czech regulations: the decision of the General Meeting of 28 August 2018 was preceded by submission of the required documents and approval by the Czech National Bank of the share purchase for the proposed price of CZK 380 per share.
Unipetrol a.s. is the largest refining and petrochemical group in the Czech Republic. It consists of refineries in Litvinov and Kralupy, the “Benzina” chain, the biggest network of filling stations on the local market (more than 400 stations) and Spolana, the only PVC and caprolactam manufacturer in the Czech Republic. The company’s petrochemical arm is a very important area of its business; it is located in Litvinov, where the construction of a polyethylene (PE3) unit is currently underway with the aim of strengthening the position of the ORLEN Group on the chemical and petrochemical market in Central Europe. Completion of the Litvinov unit, with capacity of around 270 thousand tonnes a year, will provide for better use of the Olefins’ installation and a deeper integration of petrochemical and refinery production. Efficient execution of the project will strengthen Unipetrol’s position in one of the world’s most promising industries.

Unipetrol a.s. is the largest refining and petrochemical group in the Czech Republic. It owns 406 Benzina filling stations. It includes the refineries in Litvinov and Kralupy.

Supporting Polish businesses

PKN ORLEN sees an enormous potential in products manufactured by Polish entities. In 2018, the company strengthened its relations with domestic suppliers. More than 70 percent of goods sold on PKN ORLEN service stations come from Polish producers, and 83 percent of the products were manufactured in Poland.

Polish food products are distinguished by excellent quality, which is highly appreciated by consumers, as confirmed by the success of PKN ORLEN’s pilot project entitled “Pantry of the Regions”. Today, customers can choose from a range of more than 70 regional products delivered by 23 Polish farmers and businesses to almost 400 service stations in 4 voivodships. The products have strong regional roots and were produced entirely in Poland by manufacturers representing the domestic capital.
The “Pantry of the Regions” is an excellent platform for promoting local products from Polish manufacturers that often find it hard to compete with foreign vendors. PKN ORLEN sees the potential in extending the offer to a new group of 150-200 selected stations.
“Drink Polish Juices” is yet another important initiative of the Group, under which fruit juices from Polish producers will be sold in the entire chain of service stations. This is part of the company’s programme for extending its non-fuel offer, in accordance with customer expectations. It also allows ORLEN to support Polish fruit-growers and local, usually family-owned, processing companies. As result of the initiative, ORLEN’s purchases of juices from Polish producers will increase by 150 percent.
The products covered by the programme include juices of domestic companies such as Bracia Sadownicy, Maspex, Owocowe Smaki (Agrestada), Sad Sandomierski and Sok z gór.
The Group also focuses on the dynamic development of own brands manufactured by local producers, which could largely replace foreign products. The first own brand category introduced by PKN ORLEN service stations was the spring water O!, which has enjoyed growing popularity with customers. The offer also includes chocolate and crisps. The company plans to intensify the development of own brands based on domestic manufacturers.
Procurement activities are carried out by PKN ORLEN on an on-going basis to execute and further its business plans. Participation in the tenders is open to all manufacturers through the CONNECT purchase platform.

“Drink Polish Juices” is an initiative expanding the sale of fruit juices from Polish producers to the entire service station chain in the country.

State-of-the-art power unit

At the end of June 2018, PKN ORLEN commissioned the biggest low-emission power unit in Poland, which boasts high efficiency and adjustability.

The completion of the CCGT unit in Płock means that the domestic system will gain another 600MW of power. The investment significantly strengthens the Group’s position on the electricity market, and enhances Poland’s energy security.
The gas and steam unit with electrical power output of 600 MWe and thermal power output of 520 MWt was built at the refining and petrochemical facility in Płock. It is currently the biggest heat and power plant of its type in Poland. It uses the most advanced environmental protection technologies (best available technology, BAT). The world’s top H-class gas turbine ensures highly efficient power generation at a level of around 62 percent. It will burn gas at high temperatures, leading to minimum fuel consumption per energy unit, and in practice, guarantees low environmental impact of the project.
The Group is consistent in its efforts to build its own energy base, and the completion of the Płock investment brings them much closer to this goal. The company intends to maximise the synergies resulting from ORLEN’s use of the unit. In addition to that, it will add more power to the system, significantly increasing Poland’s energy security.
What is important is that even though the unit is the largest Polish investment of this type, it will not affect the natural environment. The Płock unit will be the only facility generating heat in combination with power, in the process of cogeneration. This is one of the most advanced technologies based on natural gas, a raw material that is friendly for the environment and favourable in terms of CO2 emissions.
A share of the generated power will be taken over by ORLEN. The rest will flow into the domestic power system through the 400 kV line. This will enhance the energy security of industrial recipients in central Poland, which had no electricity generation capacity before. The produced steam will be fully consumed by ORLEN Group’s production assets and local recipients.
The new project in Płock is particularly important in the context of growing electricity demand in Poland. The beginning of June 2018 saw yet another record-breaking demand level in the power system, which reached 23 thousand 429 MW. Poland produced only 21 thousand 593 MW at that time. The situation had to be resolved with imports from Germany, Sweden and Lithuania. The Płock unit will contribute to balancing the system. It will generate around 4 TWh, which currently corresponds to around 4.5 percent of the Polish electricity production.
The contract for CCGT Płock, with construction commencing in 2015, was concluded with the Siemens consortium. Upon signing the construction agreement, PKN ORLEN also signed a contract for maintenance of the main facilities, which will remain valid for around 12 years after commissioning of the plant. Capital expenditure amounted to PLN 1.7 billion.

The investment project in Płock is particularly important in the context of growing electricity demand.

Ethical company

PKN ORLEN received – as the only Polish enterprise and for the fifth consecutive time – the title of “The Most Ethical Company” (WMEC).

The title of the World’s Most Ethical Company emphasises ORLEN’s commitment to integrity and its relentless focus on ethical business practices. It is awarded for one year only, after which companies can undergo re-evaluation.
The title is awarded by an international team of experts from the American Ethisphere Institute – a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practice. The key criterion is the ability to incorporate ethics into the company’s daily operations and set ethical leadership standards. Experts evaluating the candidates take into account aspects such as corporate governance, social responsibility, human capital creation or innovation-related solutions.
The World’s Most Ethical Company is a very important award for our Group, which recognises the company’s achievements, but also motivates it to continue its efforts in this area. Strategic companies such as PKN ORLEN are responsible for establishing new business standards and setting the directions in business operations. Building appropriate value-based relationships with all stakeholders strengthens confidence in the company, contributing to its success.
“The companies that have been awarded the WMEC title in 2018 reveal a record-high level of engagement and collaboration with stakeholders and communities. Their priorities include measuring and improving culture, authentic leadership, promoting diversity and a transparency commitment. Year after year, we can witness how the broad notion of corporate responsibility is increasing in the world’s most ethical companies. Once again, we can see that companies operating on the basis of clearly defined rules succeed and grow in value”, said Ethisphere’s CEO Timothy Erblich.
The Ethisphere Institute is an independent centre of research that promotes good practices, corporate ethics and governance based on high-quality relationships with employees, business partners, investors and market regulators. The mission of the Ethisphere Institute is to promote best practices in corporate ethics and enable organizations to mitigate risk and improve relationships with employees, business partners, investors and the broad regulatory community by ensuring an independent review of their corporate ethics.

Development of Poland’s e-mobility

Investments in electric mobility allow PKN ORLEN to cover the costs of emission charges without passing them on to customers.

The Group is expanding its programme for constructing EV charging points. PKN ORLEN has identified a total of 150 service stations located both in towns and cities and along transport routes. As part of the first stage of the pilot project, around 50 fast charging points will be rolled-out by the end of 2019.
Electric mobility is a key development opportunity for the Group. The company is a major energy producer and has a modern petrochemical segment, whose products will be crucial for transport based on alternative fuels. There are also regulatory issues, such as the emission charge, which is intended to support electric mobility and which the Group sees as an investment in the development of the alternative fuel market. It drives its investments in this market segment, which will bring measurable business benefits in the future. This is one of the reasons why PLN ORLEN will not pass on the costs of the emission charge to the customers.
By engaging in e-mobility, PKN ORLEN plans to maximise the business opportunities resulting from the law on biofuels. In accordance with its previous declarations, PKN ORLEN will not pass on the costs of the emission charge to drivers and sees them as an investment supporting the development of the alternative fuel market. We recognise new business opportunities for the Group, as it has a well-established energy sector and a modern petrochemical arm, an important source of products for vehicles powered by alternative fuels.
The Group promptly responds to changes on the global market and the growing popularity of alternative engines. New technologies and all elements of the prospective innovative energy infrastructure are a promising business domain. Therefore, it is particularly important for the company to assume a leading position in this segment right at the start, which why it has decided to expand the pilot programme and nearly doubled the number of planned stations. But it has not said the last word yet, because the Group is pursuing growth in this area and sees some potential for an even stronger engagement in e-mobility development in the long term. These efforts will allow it to address new customer expectations, and they are also consistent with the development programme for the Polish economy.

stacja ładowania Tesla Orlen


The pilot programme is in line with the Group’s strategy based on adapting the retail chain to alternative fuel distribution. As part of the project run until 2019, EV drivers will be able to cross the entire territory of Poland using the main transport routes and charging their vehicles on ORLEN stations. 50 kW and 100kW quick charging points will be deployed by companies selected in the tender procedure, which is in its final stage. The proposed charging points will be suitable for all electric vehicle types available on the European market. They will all be equipped with two DC charging connectors supporting the CHAdeMO and CCS standards, as well as a Type 2 connector for AC charging. A 50 kW DC fast charging station can charge EV batteries from 20 percent to 80 percent of their full capacity within 20-30 minutes. Specific locations will be provided later on in the investment programme.
The first charger in the pilot programme has already been set up in Płock, near the Group’s headquarters. The 50 kW charging station is designed for both electric (EV) and hybrid (PHEV) vehicles and can charge up to four cars at a time. The power supply for each station is allocated dynamically by the station controller during charging, which significantly reduces the charging time. The modular design of the device enables the potential expansion of the DC charging station by up to 150 kW in the same casing. Currently, the project is undergoing a series of tests, which will verify the IT solutions, station functionality, maintenance, and day-to-day operation in the near future. Before the end of 2018, the station will be made available to motorists who, during the first stage of the Company’s pilot programme, will be able to charge their vehicles for free. The charging stations will be constructed by ORLEN Serwis.
As part of other projects involving alternative fuels, selected ORLEN stations already operate charging points for Tesla electric cars in Poland (in Kostomłoty, Katowice, and Ciechocinek) as well as in Germany (Grimmen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Uckerfelde in Brandenburg). In the Czech Republic, the Company also plans to roll out a charger network at Benzina stations. Today, there is one charging point on the Czech market, located in Vrchlabi. The ORLEN network also sells other types of alternative fuels. Last year saw the pilot launch of the first refuelling point for hydrogen-powered cars at the Group’s German station operating under the Star brand in Mülheim, with further efforts to be taken this year. Moreover, 35 (out of 406) Benzina stations located in the Czech Republic sell CNG.

Around 50 quick-charging points will be launched by the end of 2019.

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