“In the long run, we have also been involved in environmental protection through corporate social responsibility projects, such as keeping European honeybees at our production site, supporting the nesting of peregrine falcons, and releasing fish into the River Elbe,” says Miroslav Falta, an executive at Spolana, outlining the activities and adding: “We have been releasing fish into the river for eight years in collaboration with the local fishing union. Over time, the environmental centre has joined us, explaining ecological topics to children in an entertaining way.” The biggest positive of the project is the perfect state and condition of the fish population, attested to by the results of regular water-quality monitoring near the Spolana production plant.

“This time, we invited younger pupils to the event, as it is important for them to start becoming aware of the need to behave responsibly towards the environment. Therefore, we prepared many educational and entertaining activities for them, for instance, on waste-sorting,” says Jana Krátká, an instructor at the Kralupy nad Vltavou Environmental Centre.

Anglers and pupils from Libiš have replenished the autumn waters of the Elbe with various fish species, such as tench, grass carp, pike, wels catfish, and common carp. These fish species create a balanced community in the river, playing a vital role in terms of ecology. “A carp can live up to 30 years, unless someone catches and eats it first, of course. So, children had the opportunity to learn a whole range of interesting information about it and other fish species,” says Iva Šťastná, head of the Neratovice Fishing Club.

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 ORLEN Unipetrol 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, distribution and sale of 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 with the Mogul brand in Pardubice, the Spolana company in Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina petrol station network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 421 outlets, Benzina ORLEN is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. With 13 sites in Slovakia, it is the fastest-growing network since 2019. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. In 2019, it earned CZK 129 billion and employed more than 4,800 people. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives, focusing on the cultivation and support of 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.

Contact details: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz