​Environmental protection is one of the priorities of Unipetrol Group. Investment costs incurred last year by companies within the Group towards environment protection reached CZK 252 million. Česká rafinérská (CZK 177.1 million) and Unipetrol RPA (CZK 63.1 million) were the greatest contributors in this area.

”The amount that we have invested into the environment has surpassed CZK 1.2 billion since 2009. The significant environmental investments realized in the past decade have made it possible to significantly reduce emissions of pollutants into the environment. At the present time our investment projects are focused a great deal on the area of water protection,“ says Marek Świtajewski, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol.

Last year, Česká rafinérská continued in the extensive reconstruction of the waste water treatment plant in Kralupy nad Vltavou. This project was launched in 2013 and after its completion, which is planned for this year, this facility should meet the requirements set for the best available technologies. The company is also continuing in the process of modifying the sewage system – the first phase has already been brought to a successful completion, the second phase is due to be implemented in 2015. A project for the expansion of the remediation system at the Jiřetín tank facility and road terminal was launched in the Litvínov refinery. 

Included as part of the projects into which Unipetrol RPA invested CZK 63.1 million are, among others, a project for the segregation of sewage water, the reconstruction of the sewage system (including shafts) in the area of the ethylene unit, replacement of filters in the homogenization silos of the polypropylene plant, installation of a system for the prevention of fluid leakages from the handling areas of the ethylene unit or the compilation of a feasibility study for the reconstruction of the power generating unit of the ethylene unit.

The environmental protection costs incurred by the Unipetrol Group in 2014 totalled CZK 1.16 billion, which includes the costs of environmental investments, operating costs pertaining to environmental protection, the costs of eliminating old ecological damage as well as charges paid for polluting the air, discharging waste water, waste disposal at landfill sites, etc. The Group spent a total of CZK 8.85 billion in the 2009 – 2014 period.

Companies within the Unipetrol Group operate in accordance with the Responsible Care program. This is a voluntary global initiative adopted by the chemical industry in order to promote the sustainable development of the industry by increasing the safety of the facilities operated and the transportation of chemical products and improving the standard of human health and environmental protection.