“I am delighted that thanks to the maximum efforts of our employees, we can maintain continuous production in the current emergency. And we can as well focus on helping those who need it. As a socially responsible company, we provide aid mainly in the vicinity of our production plants but also on the Czech-Polish border where we distributed snacks to the queuing drivers. We are not indifferent to the world around us, and we will continue with our help. I believe that together, we can cope with this uneasy situation,” said Katarzyna Woś, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group.
Almost 30,000 litres of the disinfecting liquid and other protective equipment were first distributed within the Unipetrol Group. They went to the workplaces exposed to the highest risk of coronavirus transmission. They include the employees of production units, companies responsible for logistics, and Benzina filling stations. Each Unipetrol Group employee has received one litre of the disinfecting liquid for their need and their family. About 4,800 litres have thus been distributed within the entire Group. The disinfecting liquid is made in the Unipetrol Centre of Research and Education (UniCRE) in Záluží u Litvínova, which has so far produced 52,000 litres of disinfection.
Where possible, disinfectants are also distributed to local self-governing units, hospitals, firefighters, police units, and other institutions. The towns of Most and Litvínov, Most Hospital, Ústí and Labem Hospital, units of the integrated rescue system, and other organisations have so far received almost 5,000 litres of the liquid. Unipetrol also purchased 500 protective suits for Most Hospital.
Spolana Neratovice supported disinfectant production, too. The company donated a supply of sodium hypochlorite to the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic. It can be used to make up to 50 tonnes of disinfection. Paramo did not lag either. It helped the Pardubice Region to secure 3,000 one-litre bottles for the distribution of disinfection.
The Unipetrol Foundation has joined the activities to those in need. On Wednesday, the Foundation donated a new 3D printer and CZK 5,000 to purchase materials for printing protective shields for the local hospital to a private primary school in Litvínov. During the week, the Foundation joined the distribution of 950 facemasks, 500 respirators and 39 disinfecting sets for children’s and nursing homes and non-profit organisations. The Foundation also plans to launch a helpline for the employees who need psychological assistance given the current situation.
The Unipetrol Group companies are currently engaged in other areas, as well. Benzina, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, has provided snacks to the drivers queuing at the Czech-Polish border. Together, they also delivered 11 pallets with goods to the town of Náchod and other cooperating units to thank them for their excellent collaboration. Bottled water, Verva energy drinks, sweets, and other products were delivered to the health workers, police officers, firefighters, soldiers, customs officers and volunteers. The refreshments were worth CZK 380,000 (19,350 Verva drinks, 10,368 muffins, 7,020 bottles of water, and 5,220 small snacks). The largest network of filling stations delivered 1,950 sandwiches to Motol University Hospital, too. It has also donated fuel cards worth CZK 50,000 to non-profit organisation HEWER, which provides personal assistance at home in seven regions of the Czech Republic.
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.
For more information, please visit the “Responsible Company” section at www.unipetrol.cz.
Contact information: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, telephone: +420 225 001 407, +420 736 502 520, e-mail:
pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz