**Orlen Unipetrol’s Recently Restarted Litvinov Refinery Faces Flood Threat**
In the midst of extraordinary flood events sweeping across Central Europe, Orlen Unipetrol’s integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Litvinov, Czech Republic, is on high alert. The complex, with a capacity to process 5.4 million tonnes of crude oil annually, is strategically prepared to implement essential crisis measures in response to the ongoing flood situation.
The severe weather event, caused by a low-pressure storm system named Boris, has been the worst to affect the region in nearly three decades. As of 3:00 p.m. local time on September 16, operations at the refining and petrochemical sites remained ongoing despite the challenges posed by the flooding. Internal crisis teams at both sites are meticulously working to minimize negative impacts on the plants’ technologies, equipment, feedstocks, and finished production, as well as any potential impacts that could endanger the surrounding environment, as stated by the operator.
Orlen Unipetol is also coordinating efforts to restore safe operation of at least nine Orlen gas stations across the Czech Republic that were closed due to the flooding situation. The company is taking a proactive stance to ensure both the production sites and the network of gas stations are safeguarded against potential environmental hazards.
The recent flooding has led to mass-flooding events and loss of life in the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, and Romania, according to local media reports. This extraordinary weather event comes on the heels of Orlen Unipetol successfully restarting the Litvinov refining and petrochemical operations after a brief shutdown. The shutdown was necessitated by the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb during excavation work in a remote part of the Chempark Záluží petrochemical complex.
The bomb, weighing approximately 230 kg and containing about 100 kg of explosives, posed significant risks due to its long-term chemical time igniter, which used