One year after establishing ORLEN Projekt Česká republika, the ORLEN Unipetrol Group continues expanding its activities and competencies by taking over design and engineering activities from Brno-based UNIS and UNIS Power. With this acquisition, the ORLEN Unipetrol Group will substantially reinforce its possibilities and capacities to implement its extensive investment plan, strategic development, and transformation towards a sustainable future. The acquisition is scheduled to close on May 2. It will be followed by an integration process of several months.
ORLEN Projekt Česká republika s.r.o. (“ORLEN Projekt ČR”) carries out end-to-end design and engineering activities in the refining, petrochemical, and energy segments, as well as environmental protection within the ORLEN and ORLEN Unipetrol groups, which are also co-owners of this engineering company. Through their subsidiaries, ORLEN Projekt SA and ORLEN Unipetrol RPA, they hold 60% and 40% of shares, respectively.
"Each year, we execute billions worth of investments as part of our gradual transformation into a multi-energy group and transition to a sustainable, zero-emission future. The requirements for expert management of our extensive investments keep increasing. That is why we are now expanding the competences of our engineering and supplier company ORLEN Projekt ČR. We welcome all of the more than 130 experts from UNIS and UNIS Power to our Group. Most of them know our Group because they were engaged in preparing our investment projects as external suppliers in the past. Becoming stronger with this acquisition, we will continue to pursue our path towards a sustainable future faster, more flexibly and more efficiently," says Maciej Romanów, member of the Board of Directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.
ORLEN Projekt ČR provides engineering services and supplies for ORLEN Unipetrol Group companies, which enables to optimise costs and improve flexibility when managing investment projects within the international ORLEN Group. The new company will build on the competencies of ORLEN Projekt, a leader in the design and construction of refinery and petrochemical plants. The establishment of a highly specialized engineering company in the Czech Republic will facilitate the transfer of project competencies and streamline the process of managing the investment area of the ORLEN Group. This transaction is the next stage of building a strong ORLEN Projekt Group providing services to the ORLEN Group. The earlier stages of ORLEN Projekt’s activity was the takeover of ENERGA Invest, an engineering company from the Energa Group, and the purchase of a majority stake in ENERGOP.
„Building a strong ORLEN Project group means creating a vibrant competence center that will offer attractive conditions for the development of existing and new employees. I am convinced that the promise of gaining unique experience and the opportunity to continuously increase their qualifications in a dynamic international environment will encourage young engineers to join both companies," emphasizes Marcin Kasza, Chairman of the Management Board, ORLEN Projekt SA.
UNIS, a.s. implements and supplies turnkey projects in capital construction focused on crude oil and natural gas processing, petrochemistry, chemistry, and energy (EPC or EPC-M model). Over the past thirty four years, UNIS has successfully implemented over 270 EPC projects in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
"This transaction is a logical outcome of cooperation on projects for the ORLEN group. The teams know each other, so the transaction does not represent fundamental changes for the UNIS team. On the contrary, it brings new challenges for participation in future technologies within this group. In addition, UNIS' experience from foreign projects in not always easy countries can be useful for the ORLEN group in case of expansion outside of Europe," comments Jiří Kovář, Chairman of the Board of the UNIS Group, on the transaction.
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 Benzina 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.