Unipetrol has completed and officially commissioned the principal part of the construction of the new polyethylene unit (PE3). The commissioning of the record-high petrochemical investment in the Czech Republic’s history in the state-of-the-art production facility will have a positive impact on the development of Unipetrol and the entire ORLEN Group. For instance, polyethylene is widely used in the cosmetics and construction industry and in the production of chemical products for households.
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The so-called Natural Line producing natural polyethylene was launched into full operation. It will enable Unipetrol to use the entire production capacity to manufacture advanced types of natural polyethylene. The operational test and delivery of the Black Line producing black polyethylene will take place once the coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted.
“We are reinforcing our position in the petrochemical industry that will be playing an increasing role in the coming years. The new polyethylene unit is the highest investment ever to the chemical industry in the Czech Republic. It will produce 270,000 tonnes of the modern high-density polyethene granulate per year,” says Tomasz Wiatrak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group.
The new polyethylene unit, PE3, will replace the existing unit, PE1. Operations of the PE2 unit with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes will continue. The total production capacity of the petrochemical plant in Litvínov will grow from 320,000 to 470,000 tonnes of polyethylene. The total capital expenditure is planned at CZK 9.6 billion.
The investment will enable deeper integration of the petrochemical and refinery production not only within the Unipetrol Group but also within the PKN ORLEN Group. The new technologies will allow Unipetrol to expand its activities in the new market segments and increase its competitiveness in the petrochemical industry both at the national and international level.
The Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude-oil processing and on the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it belongs among the important players on the Czech and Central European market. The Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo with its Mogul brand in Pardubice and Kolín, Spolana Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes a network of Benzina filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 416 filling stations, Benzina is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in terms of turnover in the Czech Republic. It earned CZK 129 billion last year and employs more than 4,800 persons. In addition to its business development, Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives which focus on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. In 2005, Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude-oil processor in Central Europe.
