### ORLEN Unipetrol’s Litvínov Refinery Remains Offline After Unprecedented Bomb Discovery
The Litvínov Refinery and petrochemical operations in the Czech Republic have been suspended since the discovery of an unexploded aerial World War II bomb during excavation work. The bomb, weighing 230 kg and containing approximately 100 kg of explosives, posed a significant risk due to its long-term chemical time igniter, which used acetone for delayed detonation.
Orchestrated by the Czech Police and the Fire and Rescue Service, the neutralization process took ten days. This complex operation necessitated an immediate shutdown of all production activities at the Litvínov Refinery, as well as extensive safety measures across the Chempark Záluží petrochemical complex. The suspension resulted in a lack of feedstock availability for the site’s integrated petrochemical operations, leading ORLEN Unipetrol to initiate a controlled shutdown of the Chempark Záluží ethylene plant’s steam cracker and reduce operations at the site’s polymerization and downstream units.
ORLEN Unipetrol is now working closely with Czech authorities to ensure a safe resumption of operations. Following the successful removal of the unexploded bomb via controlled detonation on August 30, detailed safety inspections were conducted by the Czech Police, Fire and Rescue Services, and internal teams. The restart of operations was confirmed after these thorough inspections were completed.
The discovery and subsequent removal of the unexploded bomb have significantly disrupted fuel supplies in the Czech Republic. In response, ORLEN Unipetrol requested fuel loans from the state’s material reserves, ensuring adequate fuel supplies during the shutdown period. The company also declared force majeure on product supply from the integrated complex, citing the bomb’s discovery as an extraordinary and unforeseen obstacle to performance of contractual obligations.
As of September 9, preparations were underway for the