Laboratory testing is a vital part of the manufacturing and operating process at the refining and petrochemical group ORLEN Unipetrol. The Group uses the laboratories for internal testing of products or operating conditions and external entities’ needs. They also included US President Barack Obama’s security team, which tested an aircraft fuel sample for the presidential Boeing 747 Air Force One during his visit to the Czech Republic in 2010. The laboratories have successfully passed the reaccreditation process of the Czech Accreditation Institute, which issued an accreditation certificate for an additional five years and permitted expansion of testing activities.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group runs three major laboratory teams focused on the refining segment, petrochemistry, agricultural chemistry and water purity in Záluží near Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou. The laboratories have passed a challenging system verification process without reservations and received a certificate of accreditation for 26 laboratory tests in Litvínov and 32 tests for the Kralupy nad Vltavou laboratory.
“The accreditation process is challenging, requiring strict fulfilment of international standards and several months of systematic preparations. It imposes high demands on the top-quality instrumentation in individual laboratories and qualified personnel. I am pleased that ORLEN Unipetrol RPA laboratories in Chempark Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou meet both criteria,” said Adam Jarosz, a member of the Board of Directors responsible for waste and water management. He added: “Our investments have enabled us to build world-class and fully competitive sites whose staff continues to expand their expertise under the professional management. It was mainly thanks to our highly qualified and committed team that we defended the accreditations and expanded their scope. They will allow us to perform independent wastewater monitoring right in our laboratories, which will also save us a lot of money.”
The laboratories provide end-to-end analytical services for the ORLEN Unipetrol Group as well as external customers and also cooperate with the companies of the international ORLEN Group. They also perform accredited fuel sampling as required by the excise tax act. Since 2019, the Litvínov and Kralupy laboratories have also been responsible for the tests of Efecta and Verva fuels sold by ORLEN Unipetrol in the Benzina ORLEN network. The tests are carried out using a two-tier control system. Each fuel supply is checked in a laboratory before being dispatched and then subjected to continuous quality controls at petrol stations. It means that customers can see the LAB GARANCE label on each Benzina ORLEN pump, which guarantees the utmost quality.
The laboratories also monitor greenhouse gas emissions as required by EU legislation. As part of the accreditation related to work hygiene, the laboratories check the working environment for CO content in the air, dust, noise, or artificial lighting. They are also in charge of analytical checks of all wastewater. The new certificate expands this accreditation to the full scope of tests required by laws and regulations, making the ORLEN Unipetrol Group independent of external services. Previously, the tests needed to be commissioned at external suppliers.
The laboratory accreditation is issued following the fulfilment of requirements set out in ČSN EN ISO/IEC 17025 for five years. Several regular supervision checks are carried out during this term. High demands concern not only laboratory management but also the technical staff. The laboratories need to process and maintain many documents such as laboratory, calibration, and work procedures and flows. Evaluating measurement uncertainties, which involves many measurements and calculations, is an integral part of these processes and attests.
The laboratories must also prove the test gear’s metrological sequence, or impartiality and confidentiality of the laboratory information, including possible risks. They undergo qualification testing several times a year (an interlaboratory comparison), where test results are verified against pre-set criteria. Last year, the quality control unit performed 500 interlaboratory comparisons.
Besides supervision visits, the accredited laboratories also undergo internal audits. Such audits constantly check the pre-set system and serve as a basis for the accredited laboratory’s management regarding management system reviews and continuous improvements.
The ORLEN 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 critical players on the Czech and Central European market. The ORLEN 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 ORLEN filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 416 filling stations, Benzina ORLEN is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Since its entry in 2019 to Slovakia, Benzina ORLEN has been one of the fastest-growing chains and currently has 20 stations in its network. ORLEN Unipetrol employs more than 4,800 people. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude-oil processor in Central Europe. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives, focusing on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz