The ORLEN Unipetrol Group will demolish two out of eight cooling towers at its chemical plant in Litvínov. The decision is part of a long-term optimisation programme within which ORLEN Unipetrol gradually removes unused technologies and structures to give space for future development. The work on removing one of the three towers in the refining part of the plant and of the tower at the main entry to Site B11 at Road 1/27 will take place from mid-June until the end of August. It will not have any impact on the surrounding areas and transport.
The 100-meter-high cooling towers were used to cool the water heated in the production technologies of the units in the refinery part of the plant. The necessary cooling capacity has been reduced through gradual changes in production processes. Due to the proximity of other technologies, blasting the towers is not possible, so they will be gradually dismantled. Demolition work will not affect the surrounding environment and traffic around the plant will not be restricted.
The start of the demolition works on the unused cooling tower at the main entrance gate at Road 1/27 and on the middle one from the three towers in the more distant part of the site is scheduled for the second half of June until the end of August. Both cooling towers will be gradually disassembled with hydraulic scissors and a demolition dredger. No hazardous materials will be liquidated, as the debris will be continuously sprayed to reduce dustiness and crushed to be subsequently used as a backfilling material.
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 and the ORLEN network in Slovakia and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs almost 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. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest oil refiner in Central Europe.