The Company’s Environmental Policy is based on the implementation of sustainable development with full respect to the natural environment. The activities undertaken in 2007 ensuring the implementation of the Company’s Environmental Policy were based on:
Implementation of assumed objectives, even though accompanied by continuous growth of production, allowed the Company to comply with ecological requirements defi ned in obtained permissions and to meet standards of environmental quality regarding the production plant in Płock. In addition, the investments carried out in the preceding years resulted in a signifi cant reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions produced by the Company’s Combined Heat and Power Plant. The modernisation activities carried out on a large scale, including the air-tightening of a series of fuel stations and storage facilities, reduced hydrocarbon emission produced by the storage- cum-distribution part of the Company.
In 2007, capital expenditure related to environmental protection incurred by PKN ORLEN amounted to PLN 260 million.
Performance of PKN ORLEN in the fi eld of environmental protection was recognised in the National Ecological Competition “The Environmentally Friendly” organised under the Honorary Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland. PKN ORLEN obtained a certifi cate granting the Company the title of the Polish Ecology Partner.
In 2007, under the Responsible Care Programme, PKN ORLEN undertook a total of 92 projects, 15 of which have already been accomplished, and the others are still in progress. Most of them focus on environmental protection and increased process and work safety. In accordance with the objective of the Programme, the Company aims at continuous improvement of its operations under the so-called HSE triad (Health, Safety, Environment), that is in the area of health, safety protection and environmental protection. Besides ORLEN, the Programme is participated by the following companies from the Group:
In 2007, the Company’s Green Police recorded 22 interventions related to periodic smell inconveniences. The majority of notifications within the production plant in Płock related to planned investments. There were also several interventions concerning chance events, like system blackouts, increased discharge of gases to torches or furnace extinguishing. In the area of occurrence of inconveniences, pollution concentration was measured and actions undertaken to identify the source of inconvenience.
Control measurements carried out in 2007 confirmed that the permitted levels set out in the Integrated Permit were not exceeded. Despite increased processing of crude oil as compared to 2006, except for emissions of carbon monoxide, the Company experienced signifi cant reductions in all emitted pollution. It is worth emphasising that emissions of sulphur dioxide were reduced by 31 percent and the emissions of dust produced by fuel combustion by 23 percent.
Due to the adjustment, in 2007 the Combined Heat and Power Plant complied with stricter requirements and reduced emissions of SO2 by as much as 30 percent. Air-tightening of fuel storage-cum-distribution processes resulted in a signifi cant reduction in emissions of hydrocarbons from these facilities. These actions allowed a major reduction of the amount of ecological charges for fuel reload at storage facilities by 60 percent, and at fuel stations by more than 15 percent.
2007 was the third year of PKN ORLEN’s participation in the domestic system of trade in rights to carbon dioxide emission. Two installations from the plant in Płock participate in that system: Refinery and Combined Heat and Power Plant. In 2007, the fi rst settlement period (KPRU I) for 2005–2007 terminated. The total number of the granted rights for both installations was suffi cient to cover the verified amount of emissions, and surplus rights were sold.
Emissions of sellected pollutants in the Production Plant in Płock
| Pollutant type | Pollution emissions [Mg] | Increase / Decrease | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2007 | [Mg] | [%] | |
| Total emission of pollutants | 6 594 433,82 | 6 269 287,66 | –325 146,16 | –4,93 |
| Sulphur dioxide | 30 578,34 | 20 973,30 | –9 605,04 | –31,41 |
| Nitrogen dioxide | 7 983,84 | 7 474,71 | –509,13 | –6,38 |
| Fuel combustion dust | 748,1 | 574,53 | –173,57 | –23,20 |
| Carbon dioxide | 6 553 571,87 | 6 238 941,29 | –314 630,58 | –4,80 |
In 2007, capital expenditure on tasks related to environmental protection in the Production Plant in Płock amounted to over PLN 122 million. 723 environmental tasks were carried out at the PKN ORLEN network of fuel stations and in storage facilities. These task included further adaptation of fuel stations to binding regulations and construction of new outlets fully furnished with ecological equipment. Financial expenditure on the implementation of these investments was approximately 70 percent higher in comparison to 2006 and amounted to over PLN 138 million.
All companies within the ORLEN Group have their environmental status regularised (that is the status regarding emissions of substances to the air, waste production, wastewater discharge, extraction of surface water). The majority of these implemented tasks related to environmental protection and were recognised in domestic and international competitions.
Undertakings of thefollowing companies deserve special mention: ANWIL SA, ORLEN Oil Sp. z o.o., Rafineria Trzebinia SA, Rafineria Nafta Jedlicze SA, Inowrocławskie Kopalnie Soli “Solino” SA, ORLEN Eko Sp. z o.o., Spolana, Grupa Unipetrol and AB Mažeikiu Nafta.
ORLEN Group's brands
