Unipetrol also completed the second part of the new polyethylene unit

One of the most advanced facilities of its sort in Europe manufacturing enhanced products with high margin will have a positive impact on the development of Unipetrol and the entire ORLEN Group, which also includes Unipetrol. Polyethylene is used in many applications, including the packaging, cosmetic and construction industry, or the manufacture of chemical products for households.

“The new polyethylene unit will produce 270,000 tonnes per year of state-of-the-art high-density polyethylene (HDPE) granulate. It will significantly increase the production of our Litvínov plant. The lower energy intensity and higher production stability brought by modern manufacturing technologies will result in a lower impact on the environment. We count on major investments in our production technologies in the future despite the adverse macroeconomic situation,” says Tomasz Wiatrak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group.

Polyethylene is widely used, for example, in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and construction industries or in the production of household chemical products. The new PE3 unit will replace the current PE1. Operations of the PE2 unit with an annual production of 200,000 tonnes will continue without interruption. The total production capacity of the petrochemical site in Litvínov will grow from 320,000 to 470,000 tonnes of polyethylene per year. The planned capital expenditure totals about CZK 9.6 billion.

The investment will enable deeper integration of the petrochemical and refinery production both within the Unipetrol Group and the entire PKN ORLEN Group. The new technologies will allow Unipetrol to expand its activities in new market segments and boost its competitiveness in the petrochemical industry nationally and internationally.

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 417 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 over CZK 130 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 PKN Orlen Group, the largest crude-oil processor in Central Europe.