- Revenues in the amount of CZK 166.4 billion
- Operating profit EBITDA LIFO of CZK 13.7 billion, net profit totals CZK 5.2 billion
- High investments at the level of CZK 12.8 billion
- Unification of branding of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary
- Increase in market share in the retail segment in the Czech Republic by 5.4 percentage points to 27.5%
- Entering the mechanical recycling segment by acquiring REMAQ
For the year 2023, the ORLEN Unipetrol refinery and petrochemical group posted revenues in the amount of CZK 166.4 billion. Its operating profit EBITDA LIFO totalled CZK 13.7 billion and net profit amounted to CZK 5.2 billion. ORLEN Unipetrol continued implementing its intensive investment plan, having spent CZK 12.8 billion last year. In the retail segment, ORLEN Unipetrol further developed its network of ORLEN petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, with the key area being the gradual completion of branding unification under the brand name of ORLEN.
“Despite the continuing difficult geopolitical and macroeconomic situation that has been destabilising the refining and petrochemical segment for a long time, last year we succeeded in achieving positive financial results. We also maintained the high rate of investments of previous years, having spent almost CZK 13 billion on the modernisation and development of our business. Over the past six years we have invested almost CZK 60 billion in the Czech Republic,” said Tomasz Wiatrak, CEO of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, who added: “We are responsibly preparing for our departure from Russian crude oil. Last year we tested various types of alternative crude-oil mixes at our Litvínov refinery and identified equipment and processes that need to be reconfigured to preserve safe and efficient production. We will implement the key settings during the April shutdown and will thus be prepared for the turn of this and next year when the process of increasing the capacity of the TAL oil pipeline should be finished and the Czech Republic should cut itself off from Russian crude oil.”
The volume of crude oil processed in 2023 amounted to 7.5 million tonnes. The sale of refinery products totalled 6.3 million tonnes and the sale of petrochemical products was at the level of 1.8 million tonnes. Total investments amounted to CZK 12.8 billion and were directed towards the continuing modernisation of production technologies. The main projects were the ongoing revitalisation of the unit for partial oxidation of hydrogen, the completion of the ethylene unit’s 11th cracking furnace and the modernization of the ammonia production. The investments also included preparations for the transition to the processing of non-Russian crude-oil mixes and the development of a retail network of filling stations in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, including the brand unification and the expansion of hydrogen and battery electric mobility.
ORLEN Unipetrol also implemented investments related to the gradual transformation towards emission neutrality. As part of building recycling capacities, it incorporated the company REMAQ, which is one of the most important mechanical recyclers in Central Europe, into its group.
In retail, the ORLEN Unipetrol Group continued investing in the modernisation and development of its network of filling stations, co-ordinating its operation in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. In the Czech Republic, the group operates 436 stations and offers its Stop Cafe refreshment concept to customers at 347 stations. In a year-on-year comparison, it increased its market share by 5.4 percentage points, and with a current share of 27.5 percent of the total volume of fuels sold, it is the leader in the Czech Republic. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is also working on expanding the infrastructure for hydrogen- and battery-powered electromobility. Last year it opened hydrogen filling stations for cars, trucks and buses in Prague-Barrandov and Litvínov. At the end of the year, it was operating 276 electricity charging points at 67 filling stations, which puts it first among retail chains in the Czech Republic.
ORLEN Unipetrol also made significant advances in the process of unifying the branding of its network of petrol stations under the single brand of ORLEN, with over 80% of its outlets boasting the stylised eagle logo at the end of the year. In Slovakia this process was completed in the middle of last year. The Slovak part of the ORLEN network comprises 90 outlets, which represents an almost twofold increase compared to 2022. The Hungarian part of the network consists of 78 outlets that have all been sporting the ORLEN brand since the end of 2022.
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. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy corporation in Central Europe. ORLEN Unipetrol employs over 6,000 people and is active in the area of corporate social responsibility. It focuses mainly on initiatives dealing with the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities and the environment. Its high level of employee care is confirmed by the prestigious Top Employer certificate the Group received in 2023 and 2024. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy corporation in Central Europe.