Poznaj rafinerie Grupy ORLEN | POLSKA, CZECHY, LITWA

Summary

The ORLEN Group's refineries and petrochemical plants play a pivotal role in Central and Eastern Europe's energy security, processing 37 million tonnes of crude oil annually. With a focus on diversification and innovation, the group has transitioned from reliance on Russian crude to a variety of sources, including biofuels from waste materials. Investments in advanced technologies like the EFRA project and the Olefins III complex in Płock aim to increase the production of high-margin products and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, aligning with EU directives and the ORLEN 2030 strategy for a sustainable energy future.

Takeaways

• 🚨 Crude oil is pivotal for the economy, serving as a foundation for the production of fuels and as a key material for the chemical industry.
• 🏭 The ORLEN Group operates seven refineries and two petrochemical plants, playing a crucial role in the energy security of Central and Eastern Europe.
• 🌏 ORLEN processes approximately 37 million tonnes of crude oil annually and owns nearly 3.5 thousand gas stations across seven countries.
• 🌱 Two of ORLEN's refineries in Trzebinia and Jedlicze are transitioning into biorefineries, focusing on the production of biocomponents from waste materials.
• 🛢 ORLEN refineries have diversified their crude oil sources, no longer processing any Russian crude oil and instead sourcing from various regions by sea.
• 🔬 Each ORLEN refinery has a central laboratory performing thousands of analyses daily to ensure the quality of raw materials and finished products.
• 🛠️ The EFRA project at Rafineria Gdańska and the fluid catalytic cracking (FFC) system in Czech Karlupy are examples of ORLEN's advanced oil processing technologies.
• 🌿 ORLEN is investing in petrochemical production to meet the growing demand for monomers and polymers, which are essential for the production of plastics and fertilizers.
• 🌱 The ORLEN Group is committed to environmental sustainability, with investments in biofuels and renewable energy sources, aiming for a tenfold increase in biofuel production by 2030.
• 💡 The Research and Development Centre in Płock supports innovative projects and pilot systems, facilitating the energy transition and aligning with the ORLEN 2030 strategy.
• 📈 ORLEN's total investment expenditures under the 2030 strategy will reach PLN 320 billion, with PLN 120 billion allocated to environmentally friendly projects.

Q & A

Why is crude oil significant for the economy?

Crude oil is significant for the economy because it is used to manufacture vehicle or aviation fuels and serves as one of the most important materials for the chemical industry.

How many refineries and petrochemical plants does the ORLEN Group operate?

The ORLEN Group operates seven refineries and two petrochemical plants.

What is the annual crude oil processing capacity of the ORLEN Group's refineries?

The ORLEN Group's refineries process about 37 million tonnes of crude oil every year.

What is the significance of the refineries for energy security in Central and Eastern Europe?

The refineries are of great significance for energy security in Central and Eastern Europe due to their large-scale processing and distribution of crude oil.

How has the ORLEN Group diversified its crude oil supply?

The ORLEN Group has diversified its crude oil supply by securing raw materials from various regions, ensuring that none of its Polish refineries process crude oil from Russia.

What is the role of Naftoport in the crude oil logistics for ORLEN's refineries?

Naftoport, operating in Gdańsk, facilitates the delivery of crude oil by sea to the refineries, serving as a 'window to the world' for the unloading of oil tankers.

What is the importance of testing crude oil before it is fed into production systems?

Testing crude oil before it is fed into production systems is crucial to ensure that the raw material meets specific parameters and to determine the composition and potential yield of white products.

What types of crude oil can be distinguished, and how are they classified?

Crude oils can be classified as sweet or sour, and further distinguished as light or heavy. In the past, sourness was evaluated by sensory analysis, but today various analytical methods are used.

What is the significance of the EFRA project at Rafineria Gdańska?

The EFRA project at Rafineria Gdańska is significant as it resulted in a complex of modern, interconnected systems that increase the yield of valuable fractions and reduce the production of low-margin products.

How does the ORLEN Group's petrochemical plants contribute to the future of the oil industry?

The petrochemical plants contribute to the future of the oil industry by manufacturing monomers and polymers needed for the production of plastics, fertilisers, and other products, which will continue to see increasing demand.

What is the goal of the ORLEN 2030 strategy in terms of investment and environmental projects?

Under the ORLEN 2030 strategy, the goal is to invest a total of PLN 320 billion, with PLN 120 billion allocated to environmentally friendly projects, aiming for a tenfold increase in the production of biofuels.

Outlines

00:00

🛢️ Crude Oil's Vital Role and ORLEN Group's Refineries

The script emphasizes the critical importance of crude oil to the economy, highlighting its use in the production of fuels and as a key material in the chemical industry. It introduces the ORLEN Group's refineries and petrochemical plants, which are vital for the energy security of Central and Eastern European countries. The script details the processing capacity of these refineries, the transformation of some into biorefineries, and the logistics involved in sourcing crude oil, which has transitioned from reliance on the Druzhba Pipeline to a diversified supply strategy excluding Russian crude oil. The role of Naftoport in Gdańsk in facilitating sea deliveries is also mentioned, along with the laboratory processes for testing crude oil samples to ensure they meet production parameters.

05:08

🔬 Advanced Crude Oil Analysis and Refinery Operations

This paragraph delves into the diversification of crude oil sources, moving away from Russian oil to include oils from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Norway, and the United States. It describes the extensive analytical work performed at the central laboratory in Płock, which conducts 2.5 thousand analyses daily on raw materials, finished products, and semi-products. The paragraph also discusses the importance of safety in refinery operations and introduces Grzegorz Mańkowski, Chief Engineer in Płock, who explains the role of the Central Department of Production Scheduling and Coordination. The use of technology for monitoring and managing the complex processes of the refinery and petrochemical plant is highlighted, along with the significance of atmospheric and vacuum distillation units in oil processing.

10:09

🌐 ORLEN's Strategic Investments in Petrochemicals and Renewable Energy

The script outlines ORLEN's strategic shift towards petrochemical production in response to EU directives promoting renewable energy sources and the decline in demand for traditional fuels due to electromobility. It discusses the group's investments in petrochemical plants, with a focus on the Olefins III complex in Płock, which will significantly increase the production of ethylene and propylene. The necessity for this investment is tied to economic aspects and the need to adapt to market pressures from new energy sources. The script also mentions other petrochemical systems and the company's efforts in decarbonization, including the production of green glycol and biofuels from post-frying oils and fats.

15:17

🌱 Biorefineries and the Future of Sustainable Fuel Production

This paragraph discusses the transformation of small refineries in Trzebinia and Jedlicze into biorefineries, which has provided a new lease on life for these sites that were previously at risk of closure. It details the projects related to the production of biocomponents from various sources, such as used post-frying oil and straw, which are being developed to meet EU directives for increased biocomponents in fuels. The script also mentions the collection of household oil for processing into fuel biocomponents and the construction of a new system for producing second-generation bioethanol from straw at the Jedlicze Refinery.

20:23

🚀 Research and Development Driving ORLEN's Innovation and Growth

The final paragraph focuses on the role of research and development in driving ORLEN's innovation and growth. It describes the Research and Development Centre in Płock and its support for the energy transition and the ORLEN 2030 strategy. The script provides insights into the pilot systems used for testing new processes on a smaller scale before full-scale implementation. It also discusses the pyrolysis system, which is a model of the industrial system Olefins II, and the importance of these systems in testing new solutions for product optimization. The paragraph concludes with a look at the future trends in the oil industry and ORLEN's preparation for these changes through significant investments, particularly in environmentally friendly projects.

Keywords

💡Crude Oil

Crude oil is a naturally occurring fossil fuel that is the primary raw material for the petrochemical industry. It is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid that is extracted from the earth and is the basis for many products, including fuels, lubricants, and chemicals. In the video, crude oil is highlighted as a significant component for the economy and is processed in refineries to produce various products, such as vehicle and aviation fuels, and serves as a material for the chemical industry.

💡Refineries

Refineries are industrial plants where crude oil is processed and transformed into useful products like gasoline, diesel, and other petrochemical feedstocks. They play a critical role in the energy sector by providing the necessary fuels for transportation and industry. The script mentions seven refineries within the ORLEN Group, emphasizing their importance for energy security in Central and Eastern Europe.

💡Petrochemical Plants

Petrochemical plants are facilities that specialize in converting petroleum byproducts into chemical products used in various industries. They are an extension of refineries and are vital for producing materials such as plastics, solvents, and fertilizers. The script discusses two petrochemical plants in the ORLEN Group, highlighting their significance in the energy industry and their role in processing crude oil into a range of valuable products.

💡Energy Security

Energy security refers to the uninterrupted availability of energy resources at an affordable price. It is a critical aspect of national security and economic stability. The script underscores the role of ORLEN Group's refineries and petrochemical plants in ensuring energy security for countries in Central and Eastern Europe by processing large quantities of crude oil annually.

💡Biorefineries

Biorefineries are facilities that process biomass into biofuels and other bio-based products. They represent a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. In the script, the transformation of refineries in Trzebinia and Jedlicze into biorefineries is mentioned, indicating a move towards producing biocomponents from waste materials.

💡Diversification of Supplies

Diversification of supplies refers to the strategy of obtaining raw materials from various sources to reduce dependency on any single supplier and to ensure a stable supply chain. The script discusses ORLEN's efforts to diversify its crude oil supplies, moving away from reliance on the Druzhba Pipeline and securing raw materials from different regions.

💡Petrochemical Products

Petrochemical products are chemical products derived from petroleum and natural gas. They include a wide range of substances such as plastics, resins, synthetic rubber, and solvents. The script highlights the ORLEN Group's investments in expanding the production of petrochemical products, which are increasingly important due to the growing demand and the shift away from fossil fuels.

💡EFRA Project

The EFRA project, as mentioned in the script, refers to an investment in modernizing the Rafineria Gdańska, resulting in a complex of interconnected systems that improve the efficiency and output of the refinery. It is an example of how refineries are evolving to produce more valuable products and reduce the production of lower-margin items.

💡Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)

Fluid Catalytic Cracking is a process used in refineries to convert heavy and medium petroleum streams into lighter, higher-value products like gasoline. The script mentions the operation of a modern FCC system in the Kralupy refinery since 2001, emphasizing its role in producing valuable raw materials for further processing.

💡Petrochemical Investment

Petrochemical investment refers to capital allocated towards the development and expansion of petrochemical facilities and technologies. The script describes the largest petrochemical investment in Europe in the past 20 years, the Olefins III complex in Płock, which is expected to produce significant quantities of ethylene and propylene annually.

💡ORLEN 2030 Strategy

The ORLEN 2030 strategy represents the company's long-term plan for growth and development, focusing on areas such as energy transition, environmental projects, and the expansion of biofuels production. The script details the company's commitment to investing in environmentally friendly projects and becoming a leading multi-energy player in the region.

Highlights

Crude oil is vital for the economy, with multiple uses including manufacturing fuels and serving as a key material for the chemical industry.

ORLEN Group operates seven refineries and two petrochemical plants, playing a significant role in the energy security of Central and Eastern European countries.

The Płock refinery, established in the 1960s, is one of the largest integrated production plants in the region with a capacity of over 16 million tonnes of crude oil annually.

The Gdańsk refinery, part of ORLEN since 2022, is noted for its compact layout and energy-efficient design, processing 10.5 million tonnes of crude oil a year.

ORLEN is transforming smaller refineries in Trzebinia and Jedlicze into biorefineries, focusing on manufacturing biocomponents from waste materials.

ORLEN's refineries have diversified their crude oil sources, no longer processing any Russian crude oil, and have secured supplies from various regions.

Naftoport in Gdańsk facilitates the delivery of crude oil to ORLEN refineries, acting as a 'window to the world' for the corporation.

Crude oil is rigorously tested in laboratories to ensure it meets specific parameters before being processed in refineries.

ORLEN has a diverse range of crude oil sources including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Norway, the United States, and Nigeria.

The central laboratory in Płock conducts 2.5 thousand analyses daily, covering raw materials, finished products, and semi-products.

Safety is paramount in refineries, with plant masters using advanced monitoring systems to oversee all processes.

The EFRA project at Rafineria Gdańska has led to the creation of a modern, interconnected system culminating in a delayed coking unit.

ORLEN is investing in petrochemical plants, which are crucial for producing monomers and polymers needed for various industrial sectors.

The ORLEN Group aims to generate half of its profit from petrochemical products by 2030, reflecting a strategic shift towards this sector.

The largest petrochemical investment in Europe in the last 20 years is the Olefins III complex in Płock, producing significant amounts of ethylene and propylene.

Petrochemical products such as ethylene and propylene are essential for manufacturing plastics used across the economy.

ORLEN is developing biofuels and investing in environmentally friendly projects, aligning with EU directives for increased renewable energy share.

The Research and Development Centre in Płock supports ORLEN's transition to a multi-energy player and the implementation of the ORLEN 2030 strategy.

ORLEN's total investment expenditures under the ORLEN 2030 strategy will reach PLN 320 billion, with PLN 120 billion allocated to environmentally friendly projects.

Transcripts

Crude oil is of a great significance for the economy.

It is not only used to manufacture vehicle or aviation fuels,

but also is one of the most important materials for the chemical industry.

Crude oil is processed in refineries and then at their extensions, i.e. petrochemical plants.

Seven refineries and two petrochemical plants operate within the ORLEN Group.

All these plants are of great significance for energy security of countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Every year they process about 37 million tonnes of crude oil.

The corporation owns nearly 3.5 thousand gas stations in seven countries.

We visited all refineries of the ORLEN Group to see the way in which they operate,

areas of their specialisation, and interesting projects in which they are currently involved.

We are starting in Płock, which is the heart of that great organism.

The plant in Płock was established in the 1960s, and today is one of the largest

integrated production plants in Central and Eastern Europe,

with a processing capacity at the level of 16 million 300 thousand tonnes of crude oil a year.

The refinery in Gdańsk, which became a part of the ORLEN Group in 2022, was constructed in the 1970s.

However, in its design Western technologies were applied,

so it is distinguished by a very compact layout of technological systems,

which greatly contributes to savings in energy needed for production.

It is one of the most modern refineries in Europe,

with a processing capacity of 10.5 million tonnes of crude oil a year.

Two smaller refineries in Trzebinia and Jedlicze are currently being transformed into biorefineries.

They manufacture, e.g. biocomponents from waste materials.

ORLEN also owns refineries located outside Poland.

Kralupy and Litvínov in the Czech Republic

have a total processing capacity of 8 million 700 thousand tonnes of crude oil a year.

The refinery in Mažeikiai, Lithuania, is the only plant of this type in the Baltic States.

Its processing capacity amounts to 10 million 200 thousand tonnes a year.

The crude oil logistics represent a very important factor, affecting the energy security of the region.

Until recently, as much as 98% of crude oil processed by ORLEN refineries came from the Druzhba Pipeline,

a huge pipe connecting Siberia and Central Europe, which was constructed in the 1960s.

Following activities aiming at diversification of supplies, large quantities of raw material from other regions were secured.

Today, ORLEN’s Polish refineries do not process even one drop of crude oil from Russia.

Raw material for Polish refineries is delivered from many different directions by sea.

These deliveries are facilitated by Naftoport operating in Gdańsk.

This is our window to the world.

Here crude oil delivered by oil tankers is unloaded.

The material delivered by sea to Naftoport is supplied to the Rafineria Gdańska,

and, through the Northern Pipeline, the ORLEN refinery in Płock.

The raw material delivered to the refinery must meet specific parameters.

Therefore, before crude oil is fed into production systems, it must be tested in a laboratory.

We receive samples of crude oil, and their distillation characteristics are analysed.

In this part, distillation is analysed in ambient conditions, while in the distilling unit on the other side the pressure is reduced,

and it is used to distil residues from this distilling unit.

So actually we simulate the process conducted in the systems?

Exactly. This is a process on a laboratory mini-scale,

enabling us to determine the composition of given crude oil and estimate quantities of white products that we can obtain from it.

And in fact, what we obtain here are fractions: starting with gases and ending with those vacuum residues which are later used, e.g. in bitumen.

I know that you receive different types of crude oil from different parts of the world.

Could you, please, tell us what types of crude oil can we distinguish?

Well, according to the literature, we can classify crude oils as sweet or sour.

Several dozen years ago employees evaluated that sourness by sensory analysis, simply by tasting it.

But today we have a number of analyses and research methods to analyse crude oil.

We have light and heavy oils, and directions of that diversification are very different today.

In the past, we only had Russian oil, but today we do not have it anymore and we purchase crude oil from Saudi Arabia,

Iran, Norway, the United States, and, e.g. Nigeria.

We also had crude oil from Lithuania, and tested deposits from Poland, so there is a whole range of crude oil samples to analyse.

The central laboratory in Płock performs as many as 2.5 thousand analyses every day.

Apart from raw materials, finished products and semi-products are also tested there.

In a refinery, safety is of fundamental importance; therefore, plant masters monitor all processes.

I have here with me Grzegorz Mańkowski, Chief Engineer in Płock. Grzegorz, we would like to see how the refinery operates,

as well as how the petrochemical plant functions.

From what I know, we do not actually have to walk around the entire refinery,

but it is enough to look at those screens and we will know everything. Please, tell us what you do and what is this place.

Hello, Welcome to the Central Department of Production Scheduling and Coordination.

At this department, we in fact coordinate the entire production, both at the petrochemical plant and the refinery.

We also monitor operations of the energy production and environmental protection areas.

Behind me, we can see a video wall, on which we can smoothly switch between graphic presentations

showing production processes at the plant, as well as some of its auxiliary areas.

This facilitates our work, monitoring of process parameters and observing whether individual systems work correctly.

This graphic shows how complicated this process is.

You need very extensive experience to understand and to manage it. Who is employed at this unit?

Who can become a dispatcher?

Actually, any production employee can become a dispatcher; however, specific requirements are much more stringent.

In general, employees with at least 15 years of service at the plant, and who already work as people managing personnel, are appointed to this unit.

And I can say that when I joined this unit, I was its youngest employee, and I was in my late thirties.

When we were walking here, you said that only a few people knew about you, but you see everything.

Do you really see every nook and corner of the plant?

Exactly. Both CCTV cameras and view of production processes allow us to observe practically everything that is happening within the production plant.

Atmospheric and vacuum distillation units are the basis of oil processing in every refinery.

It can be said that during distillation crude oil ceases to be crude oil, and crude oil components

begin their rather long journey through various refinery systems,

during which their quality is improved, they are purified, and further separated, until they turn into finished products, fuels.

To obtain even more products, extended processing of crude oil is conducted.

The EFRA project, implemented at the Rafineria Gdańska, looks particularly impressive in this regard,

and it resulted in a complex of modern, precisely connected systems. This process culminates in the delayed coking unit (DCU).

During the development of crude oil processing methods, various ideas emerged how to obtain more valuable projects

from those products of crude oil distillation that were less valuable or even initially treated as waste.

And this led to various techniques of extensive oil processing.

The DCU technology, i.e. delayed coking, is the most fundamental of them.

It is a very simple way to increase the yield of more valuable fractions.

Basically, it is a process of thermal decomposition of heavy remains from the crude oil distillation,

during which diesel oils and petrols are manufactured.

Of course, these are fractions or products that must be further purified;

however, they significantly increase the pool of valuable products and it can be said that they show whether

this is a process resulting in an extensive processing of crude oil.

With the EFRA system, high margin products may be obtained,

such as fuel oil and aviation fuels, and at the same time, manufacturing of products characterised by low margins,

such as asphalts and heavy heating oils, has been reduced.

In Czech Karlupy, a modern fluid catalytic cracking (FFC) system has been operating since 2001.

Products manufactured at the Kralupy refinery include raw materials for further production of low-sulphur and sulphur free products.

However, propane and propylene are the most valuable.

Also the refinery in Mažeikiai invests in the technology for deep conversion of crude oil.

The process of transporting large components that will form the new system, has already attracted significant media attention.

We could see how the refinery operates. Now we move to the petrochemical plant.

Petrochemistry is frequently referred to as the future of this industry.

While the refineries focus on the production of fuels, here products needed by many industrial sectors are manufactured.

Development of petrochemistry is of enormous importance for the future of the entire oil industry.

EU directives, RED II and RED III, as well as the FIT For 55 package provide for, among others,

a gradual increase in the share of energy from renewable sources, and thus departing from fossil fuels.

In 2030, as much as 42% of energy in the European Union should be generated from renewable sources.

This is accompanied by development of electromobility.

These trends contribute to a significant reduction in demand for fuels such as petrol or diesel oil.

For this reason, importance of petrochemical plants, at which monomers and polymers required for production of plastics or fertilisers, increases.

The demand for these products will continue to increase.

Currently, extensive investments are conducted at the ORLEN Group plants, to expand production of petrochemical products.

By 2030, this segment of the ORLEN Group will generate about half of profit from crude oil processing.

ORLEN has two petrochemical plants, in Płock and in Czech Litvínov.

In Płock, the largest petrochemical investment in Europe during last 20 years is being executed, the Olefins III complex.

The new system will produce 740 thousand tonnes of ethylene and 340 thousand tonnes of propylene a year.

Why was this investment necessary? Why was it so crucial for development of plants?

The first thing we considered were, of course, economic aspects and the financial situation of our production plant,

to ensure operation of that production plant also in the future.

As we know, the liquid fuels market is currently strongly pressed by the market with hydrogen and electrical drives, so we could not remain inactive.

We react smoothly and fast, also taking economic aspects into account.

This way, those petrols, withdrawn from sales due to expanding new alternate sources of powering vehicles,

can be routed during production directly into the petrochemical stream.

This way, we smoothly use our liquid fuels, which will not be delivered to fuel stations.

Ethylene and propylene are used for manufacturing plastics for nearly every sector of the economy,

including production of chemicals, hygiene products, household appliances, electronic equipment, or vehicle parts.

Furthermore, Płock operates systems to manufacture other types of plastics.

One of the petrochemical systems is the paraxylene plant, which is indispensable, e.g. for production of PET.

This is true. This system was put into operation in 2011, and its name comes from its main product, i.e. paraxylene.

What is interesting, the entire production of this material is transported by rail to Włocławek,

and it should be emphasised that it is transported in special tank cars that act as a vacuum flask,

because the paraxylene melting point is 13 degrees Celsius.

And there, in Włocławek, another system of ours is located, the PTA plant, in which PTA is manufactured.

And PTA itself can be used to manufacture PET, that we know so well, i.e. bottles, or even polyester fibres.

Now let’s move to the petrochemical plant in Czech Litvínov, where one of the most modern petrochemical systems is located,

producing dicyclopentadiene used, for example, in components for wind turbine shells.

This technology was developed by ORLEN Unipetrol in cooperation with the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.

Other projects, being a part of the decarbonisation trend, are also conducted in Litvínov.

In Trzebinia, there is one of the two and the largest in Europe system for manufacturing green glycol, used in medicine, cosmetic, and food industry.

The target production capacity of the system is 30 thousand tonnes of environmentally friendly glycol a year.

This system is supported by the hydrogen hub, which produces hydrogen required for technological processes.

However, it is not the sole area of this material application.

The FAME system represents a large investment of ORLEN, and it processes post-frying oils and fats to produce biofuels of second generation,

used as an additive in production of traditional diesel fuel.

It is a very important aspect, meeting the requirements of EU directives concerning the increase of biocomponents share in fuels.

A similar system for production of fuel biocomponents is being constructed in the Jedlicze Refinery.

However, the material used here will be of different origin.

In general, it is a very new technology, and we are going to process straw, about 135 thousand tonnes a year,

to manufacture bioethanol of second generation to be used as a fuel, or more precisely petrol, ingredient.

A very interesting project related to production of biocomponents is currently conducted by the refinery in Litvínov.

In the Czech Republic, a very complex system for collection of used post-frying oil is implemented,

and this material can be used to manufacture, e.g. fuel biocomponents.

Additionally, oil from households is collected at selected ORLEN gas stations in the Czech Republic.

Before it is accepted for processes in the refinery, each bottle is tested at the laboratory.

The concept of transforming small refineries in Trzebinia and Jedlicze into biorefineries represented a new stimulus for development of these sites.

Previously, they were facing shutting down, due to small quantities of processed crude oil.

All investments in new technologies conducted at ORLEN refineries are possible due to research and development projects.

The Research and Development Centre in Płock supports all undertakings of this type.

This place supports the process of the energy transition and the corporation development plans included in the ORLEN 2030 strategy.

We visited the models and pilot projects hall.

Pilot systems, like the one used for production of fuel biocomponents from post-frying oils, enable,

for example, testing of a new innovative process on a smaller scale,

before it is implemented at the refinery.

We are at a fantastic place.

While a moment ago we saw a pilot system, i.e. the one on which technologies are being developed which are later to be implemented in refineries,

here we have a system that reproduces processes that are already taking places in the systems at the refinery.

What do you need systems of this type for?

We use these systems to test new solutions, new conditions aiming at obtaining more products or products of a better quality,

or to optimise processes already functioning at the production plant.

And what is this system?

This is the pyrolysis system, which is a model of our industrial system Olefins II.

And it this is rather a modest looking machine in which very high temperatures can be generated.

Precisely, which can generate temperature as high as 900 degrees Celsius.

You can generate 900 degrees in this machine?

Yes, in this machine. A mixture of hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon feed and steam is fed into the reactor and then heated rapidly.

The mixture stays in the reactor for about one second, and then is rapidly cooled,

and successive cooling stages are conducted at successive coolers, air and water ones,

and this way we obtain the most desirable products, i.e. olefins, ethylene and polyethylene, and liquid products.

The Research and Development Centre also operates in Litvínov, where cooperation with Czech universities and other entities is being developed.

The trends that we can already notice will greatly change the oil industry in the future.

To adequately respond to the new challenges, already today ORLEN needs to sufficiently prepare for those changes, hence the large number of investments.

Under the ORLEN 2030 strategy, the total investment expenditures will reach PLN 320 billion,

of which PLN 120 billion are environmentally friendly projects.

This is to contribute to a significant, tenfold increase in production of biofuels.

These undertakings are necessary for ORLEN to implement its objective, of being a leading multi-energy player in the region.