Unipetrol’s new PE3 polyethylene unit at its Litvínov plant is now fully operational, thus completing the largest investment in the Czech chemical industry’s history. In the spring, they put into operation the first part of the unit, the Natural Line, which produces natural polyethylene. The second part, the Black Line, will be used for the production of black polyethylene. The total investment costs are 9.6 billion crowns.
“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 polyethylene granulate per year,” said Tomasz Wiatrak, Chairman of the Board of Unipetrol.
Polyethylene is used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and construction industries or the production of household chemical products. The new polyethylene unit PE3 will replace the existing unit PE1. The PE2 polyethylene unit’s operation, which has an annual output of 200,000 tons, will continue. The total production capacity of the Litvínov petrochemical plant will thus increase from 320,000 to 470,000 tons of polyethylene per year.
Unipetrol promises from the investment that it will increase its competitiveness in the petrochemical industry on a national and international level. “Despite the unfavorable macroeconomic situation, we also expect significant investments in our production technologies in the future,” said Wiatrak.
The Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude-oil processing and the production, distribution, and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilizers. 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 operates the Benzina filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Unipetrol had revenues of CZK 129 billion in 2019 and employs over 4,800 people. In 2005, Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude-oil processor in Central Europe.