The Spolana honey harvest highlights the
year-round efforts of the local beekeepers: they take the frames with honey out
from the hives, extract the honey in the extractor, and then pour it into the
jars. “We are delighted that the local
blossom honey from Polabí annually receives a golden medal of quality at the
Czech Honey competition. I hope it will be the same also this year; we will
know the results this autumn. Yet, we do not plan to make honey on a larger
scale. For us, bees are vital not only due to the production of honey and other
substances. They ensure the pollination of crops and wild vegetation, and the
quality of honey testifies to the quality of the environment both in the area
and in the immediate vicinity,” Miroslav
Falta, Executive Director of Spolana, comments on beekeeping’s positive
impact. The honey jars are mainly used as an unusual gift, he adds.
Spolana Neratovice is surrounded by an
area with varied fauna and flora, also thanks to the nearby Elbe. Therefore,
the idea of keeping honeybees on the former chocolate and saccharine site
caught on quickly in 2018. “We have five
colonies now. This year’s harvest was higher than last year because the
vegetation around the beehives thrives in sunny weather. Not even the April
rainfalls were a problem – the bees have quickly made it up. We tapped 60 kg of
honey, i.e., by ten kilograms more than last year,” Lukáš Karlík, Head of Energy and Water Management and a keen beekeeper,
speaks happily about this year’s crop.
This year, also children from the Libiš
primary school attended the honey harvest. The company seeks to pass on them
the interest in the environment through a unique experience. The programme for
schoolchildren was prepared by the beekeepers and the eco-centre in Kralupy nad
Vltavou. “The children were to get to
know different species of honey plants and identify record holders from the
animal kingdom. They were also to describe individual parts of a bee body. They
also tried to make decorative pins for candles and wax candles. In reward for
their efforts, the children went home will small gifts and games such as pairs,
colouring books, lollipops and candy with honey themes or flavour,” concludes
Martina Černá, Head of the Eco-Centre in
Kralupy.
SPOLANA a.s. 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 Unipetrol since
2016. The 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. Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina petrol station
network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 420 outlets, Benzina ORLEN
is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. With 13 sites in Slovakia, it is
the fastest-growing network since 2019. 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, 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@unipetrol.cz