The refining and petrochemical group ORLEN Unipetrol will launch a planned turnaround of its refinery in Kralupy nad Vltavou. During the turnaround, operations will be suspended and the production complex will undergo comprehensive maintenance and modernization. The shutdown will begin on 17 March, with individual production units starting to be taken offline from 11 March. Restarting the refinery is scheduled for early May. ORLEN Unipetrol carries out shutdowns, also known as turnarounds, of its refineries in roughly four‑year cycles. The previous shutdown at the Kralupy refinery took place in the spring of 2022.
“A turnaround is a planned shutdown in production, whose primary purpose is the regular maintenance of all technologies in accordance with legislative and technical–technological requirements. It is also an opportunity to carry out investment projects and technological upgrades that cannot be performed during normal operation. We conduct these shutdowns at roughly four‑year intervals at both of our refineries. Investments in the maintenance and modernization of the Kralupy refinery will exceed two billion Czech crowns,” explained Milan Brejchal, a member of the Board of Directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group responsible for production.
Key projects within the revitalisation of the Kralupy refinery include the renovation of the gas oil hydrogenation unit, the modernisation of the reactors at the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, and the upgrade of distillation columns across various refinery production units. The maintenance work also involves an inspection of the safety flare, which is used for the controlled combustion of excess production when necessary. During this inspection, the entire flare system, including the flare tip, will be checked.
“Thanks to these and other projects, we will not only inspect and revitalise our refinery, but also further increase production efficiency and safety,” said Pavel Ballek, Production Director of the Kralupy nad Vltavou refinery of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group. He added: “For safety reasons, a temporary speed limit will be introduced on the access road to the refinery in cooperation with the Police of the Czech Republic during the turnaround works. We apologise in advance for any increased traffic and for any light or noise effects associated with the shutdown and restart of the refinery during the turnaround. We will do our best to minimise these impacts.”
The gradual slowdown of the production process will begin on Wednesday, 11 March. Complete shutdown of production and handover of the units for maintenance will take place on 17 March. The completion of works and the gradual restart of the production units are expected in the second half of April. “If everything goes according to plan, we will reach full capacity at the beginning of May,” concluded Pavel Ballek.
The refining and petrochemical group ORLEN Unipetrol is the only crude oil processor in the Czech Republic, a major producer of fuels, plastics and fertilizers, and the operator of the ORLEN service station network in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. With 446 stations in the Czech Republic, it is the country’s largest service station network. The Kralupy nad Vltavou refinery processes mainly crude oil from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Arab and African countries, North America and the North Sea. This crude oil is supplied via the IKL pipeline (Ingolstadt – Kralupy nad Vltavou – Litvínov), which is connected to the TAL pipeline from the Italian port of Trieste. The total volume of crude oil supplies to the Czech Republic reaches approximately eight million tonnes per year, of which roughly one third is processed at the Kralupy nad Vltavou refinery.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on oil processing and the production, distribution, and sale of fuels and petrochemical products, particularly plastics and fertilizers. It is a major player in all these areas on the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, research center in Brno and the engineering design company ORLEN Projekt. ORLEN Unipetrol also owns the ORLEN network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs over 3,000 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. A testament to the high quality of employee care is the prestigious international Top Employer certification, which the Group received in 2023, 2024 and 2025, along with several national awards. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy company in Central Europe.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl,
spokesperson, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz