During the autumn pandemic peak, refining and petrochemical group Unipetrol, which is part of the Czech Republic’s critical infrastructure, has donated 5,200 litres of disinfectants to the institutions in need in Prague, Central Bohemia, and the Ústí Region. The disinfecting liquid is made by the Unipetrol Centre for Research and Education. Together with corporate firefighters, the company is now distributing the sanitiser to kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, non-profit organisations supporting senior citizens, the disabled, or children in need. So far, Unipetrol has distributed 34,000 litres. Hockey players of HC VERVA Litvínov, the Unipetrol Foundation or the Benzina ORLEN network have joined the assistance to fight COVID-19, as well. For instance, Benzina ORLEN is installing antivirus air purifiers in its outlets. Unipetrol has distributed disinfectants, protective equipment, face masks, and refreshments worth more than CZK 1.2 million since spring.
“The disinfectant production in the Unipetrol Centre for Research and Education has allowed us to distribute 34,637 litres of this liquid. Together with the Unipetrol Group firefighters and the Unipetrol Foundation, we donated it to schools, municipal authorities, hospitals, and other institutions in Prague, the Ústí Region and Central Bohemia. Of this volume, we have freshly delivered 2,000 litres to the town of Most, which will distribute them to 19 local non-profit organisations and 19 kindergarten buildings. A gift to non-profit organizations was arranged by the ‘Our Heart Account’ (in Czech: Konto našeho srdce) of HC VERVA Litvínov together with its partners who have provided face masks and hand-sanitising gels,” says Katarzyna Woś, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group and Chairwoman of the Board of the Unipetrol Foundation. Besides the organization of partnership contributions, the hockey players from Litvínov also donated 3,750 protective masks. “Unipetrol also delivered 3,000 litres to non-profit organisations in October and the town of Kralupy nad Vltavou will also receive 1,000 litres of disinfection for its kindergartens,” recounts further activities Katarzyna Woś.
The Unipetrol Foundation has also shot an
educative video for primary school pupils. In it, it explains how coronavirus is transmitted, how it behaves, and how to protect oneself against it. For the secondary school goers who are back at home behind their computers, the Foundation plans a video infotainment project, ‘Wonderful Chemistry Lessons’. It is a parallel to the successful series of the Wonderful Day with Chemistry, which has been attended by more than 5,000 pupils and students in recent years. In addition, the foundation has partnered with two organizations, Women for Women and ‘Bridge to Hope’, which provide advice in the current coronavirus crisis.
“All of us have been in a challenging life situation for several months. We have quickly revised our priorities, not only in terms of corporate social responsibility, so that we could react to the current events effectively. We also focus on our employees and customers. As a part of the Czech Republic’s critical infrastructure, we need to secure fuel supplies and sales under any circumstances. That is why we have invested additional funds to air purifiers eliminating coronavirus at our Benzina service stations,” says Katarzyna Woś. The safety and security of staff and customers always come first, she adds. The multifunctional air purifiers remove COVID-19 and other viruses and bacteria through UV-C radiation. Air is purified in two stages through high-quality electrostatic filters that can also eliminate microscopic impurities.
The Unipetrol Group has adopted social responsibility as one of its top priorities when devising its plan of sustainable business. Unipetrol approaches its activities ethically and responsibly. Therefore, the Group has implemented international standards in corporate social responsibility (CSR), as well. It aims to provide for the permanent development of the Group and its relations to the local communities in education, social issues, and the environment. In 2019, the total Unipetrol’s CSR expenditure climbed by 67% to CZK 25.5 million.
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 PKN 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