The corporate firefighters at Spolana Neratovice continue modernising their fleet. After a telescopic platform with a thermal imaging camera, they purchased a new truck to transport containers. It has a hook capable of lifting containers weighing up to 18 tonnes and a crane with a lifting capacity of 4.5 tonnes and a reach of up to 10.5 m. The primary purpose of the new vehicle is to transport a large-capacity pumping unit, including accessories, and a one-kilometre hose with a diameter of 200 mm. The total investment was CZK 23 million. Last year, the Spolana firefighting unit responded to dozen cases within the plant that employs over 700 people and outside its premises.
„Purchasing this vehicle is another step in gradually upgrading and expanding our rescue unit’s capacities. Investing in state-of-the-art equipment will allow us to respond faster and more effectively to emergencies in our site and its vicinity,” Miroslav Falta, Spolana’s executive, comments on purchasing the new vehicle.
“At Spolana, we have 13 response vehicles now, including the newly purchased vehicle to transport a high-capacity pumping unit with accessories and a one-kilometre-long hose. Also, we have three combined vehicles for fire extinguishing with water, foam, or powder and four water tankers for water or foam. With the purchase of the new vehicle, we have increased our fighting power and can also respond to various emergency types more effectively,” says Martin Tomi, chief of Spolana’s firefighting unit.
The new vehicle can be used in a wide variety of cases, including the lack of water in emergencies and as substitute feeding equipment for the site water tower, which feeds the on-site hydrant network. If there is any unexpected power failure or water tower’s feeding pump defect, a feeding site can be created at the water tower to connect the firefighters’ pump to the system for water supplies to the water tower. This solution would secure the hydrant network and provide a connection to operational technologies. As this rescue vehicle is also used in emergencies in the chemical industry, it is equipped with specific tools to manage these events.
The Hytrans Hydrosurb unit’s output is 235 kW. Thus, it can supply between 10,000 and 14,000 litres of water per minute. The set also includes a 1,000-metre eight-inch hose, making it possible to supply the required water across the site. The total vehicle weight is 30,000 kg. The fire engine has a winding container hook with a load-carrying capacity of 18,000 kg and a telescopic HIAB crane, which can lift up to 1,300 kg at a maximum 10.3-metre radius.
The new vehicle will be used to react to emergencies within the site and will also cooperate outside the plant as part of the Fire Alarm Plan of the Central Bohemian Region. Spolana’s firefighting unit is included in the integrated rescue system and TRINS, thus responding to incidents outside the production site. “Most often, we are involved in technical and technological assistance. We assist in about 750 such incidents per year,” Martin Tomi adds.
SPOLANA s.r.o. is one of the largest chemical manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic. The only manufacturer of PVC and caprolactam also produces ammonium sulphate and sulphuric acid. It currently employs over 700 people. Spolana has been owned by the ORLEN Unipetrol Group since 2016. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and production, distributing and selling fuels and petrochemical products – mainly plastics and fertilisers. It is one of the major players in the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina network in the Czech Republic and the ORLEN network in Slovakia and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs almost 6,000 people. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays equal attention to initiatives focusing on cultivating and supporting sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the PKN Orlen Group, the largest oil processor in Central Europe.