Global Pressure for Sustainability and Decarbonisation

ORLEN Unipetrol, a petrochemical holding group, has been showing successful results recently. At the same time, the company has been investing a significant portion of the profit in decarbonisation, reduction of energy demands, utilisation of renewable energy sources, plastic recycling, and the use of advanced biofuels. In the next ten years, the company is going to invest CZK 30 billion in similar projects and another CZK 5 billion will be invested in digitalisation, so that the company could become emissions-neutral by 2050 at the latest.

These goals are being achieved with the assistance of ORLEN UniCRE (Unipetrol Centre of Research and Education), which is a modern research centre with top laboratory equipment and erudite researchers. And what is the main idea behind this Centre? To contribute to the better transfer of research results into practice and ultimately to support the development of cutting-edge technologies in the refinery and elsewhere.

n KEY ACTIVITIES

The key facilities of ORLEN UniCRE are experimental units, enabling the testing of refinery and petrochemical processes, catalysts, and other processed raw materials. The synergic idea is the direct and organisationally flexible interconnection of research and development activities. Therefore, ORLEN UniCRE works together with numerous research organisations on the solution of important projects. What is also worth mentioning is the very beneficial collaboration with Czech and foreign students in Master´s and Doctoral degree programmes. At present, ORLEN UniCRE is collaborating with universities, e.g. with the Prague University of Chemistry and Technology, Pardubice University and leading institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, such as with the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals. In addition, foreign collaboration in the form of student exchanges has been developing successfully in ORLEN UniCRE.

n SPECIFIC PROJECT

In 2021, Orlen Unipetrol together with ORLEN UniCRE put into operation a testing pyrolysis unit for the processing of waste plastics. In the years to come, dedicated teamwill be examining the chemical recycling of plastics and the method of using it in current manufacture. The procedure is intended to help utilise plastic waste more effectively. The ambition of the company is, within the horizon of several years. to recycle waste from the immediate neighbourhood and from the whole of Czechia by a chemical method. This is important, because almost one-half of the plastic waste, the yearly production of which is about 400 000 tons, remains unused due to the high demands of recycling. Pyrolysis – the thermal decomposition of material at high temperatures – is the most interesting plastic waste processing technology, because it provides high yields of liquid products, which can subsequently be processed by applying petrochemical and alternatively also refinery technologies. At the same time, the transformation of plastic waste into a usable material can go hand in hand with the follow-up refining, which will contribute to their higher value. Therefore, the output of the project is the comprehensive design of the technology on an industrial scale, on the basis of pyrolysis for the processing of plastic waste and rubber from tyres, the products of which will be usable in the petrochemical industry for the production of basic chemicals, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene and benzene. They are used in follow-up processes for the production of the final petrochemical products – polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, etc. In the petroleum-refining industry, the products of pyrolysis will be added to the currently processed materials to increase the production of motor fuels, i.e. petrol and diesel.

ORLEN UniCRE We are the top research and education centre located in the Ústí region. We carry out applied and basic research in the field of industrial chemistry. We are focused on: • efficient and environmentally-friendly production of fuel, • preparation of feedstock for production of polymers, • sustainable use of renewable raw materials, • reduction of harmful emissions, • advanced inorganic materials. We collaborate with the application sector throughout the Czech Republic. We collaborate with prestigious universities in the Czech Republic and abroad. We educate university students.