The ORLEN Unipetrol Group will begin a planned turnaround at its chemical site in Litvínov on Friday, April 11. During the two-month operational shutdown, the petrochemical part of the production plant will undergo regular maintenance and modernization of technologies, along with the implementation of investment projects. It is expected that the petrochemical production technologies will be put back into operation at the beginning of June. The refining part of the plant, including the refinery in Kralupy nad Vltavou, i.e. the production of fuels and agrochemical products, will remain in full operation.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is carrying out a turnaround - a planned shutdown of its production facilities for the purpose of regular maintenance of production facilities in accordance with legislative and control requirements. During the two-month shutdown, the facilities are inspected, modernized and prepared for the next operating cycle. The current shutdown is divided into two years. Last year, the refinery part of the plant underwent maintenance and modernization, and now it is time for the petrochemical part.
"On Friday, April 11, we will start to reduce operations and next week we want to start maintenance and modernization work. A wide range of specific professional activities will be performed by 3,000 external, mainly Czech and Slovak, workers from 45 supplier companies with which ORLEN Unipetrol has been cooperating for a long time. Investments will amount to three billion crowns. Our petrochemical segment should be back in full operation at the beginning of June," said Milan Brejchal, member of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group Board of Directors responsible for production, and added: "The refining segment underwent maintenance and modernization last year, and will now remain in full operation, including the refinery in Kralupy nad Vltavou, which will undergo a planned turnaround in 2026."
Over the course of two months, the ethylene, polyethylene and polypropylene production units will undergo more than two thousand maintenance and modernization operations. Key actions include replacing the high-pressure steam pipeline, replacing the inner floors of the four columns of the ethylene unit, and modernizing the flare system. “We will do everything we can to minimize the impact of the turnaround on the residents of surrounding towns and villages. We apologize in advance for any audio-visual and smoke effects related to the turnaround, especially during the shutting down and restarting of the production units. We will inform about these situations on our website and social media profiles. Ongoing information can also be found on the website of the Most pro Krušnohoří Ecological Center,” concluded Milan Brejchal.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining 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 fertilisers. It belongs among the key players on the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs over 6,000 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of supporting sustainable development, education, local communities and the environment. Its quality employee care is attested to by the prestigious Top Employer certificate which the Group received in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and by a host of national accolades. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy company in Central Europe.
Contact details: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, tel.: +420 736 502 520, email: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz