**Orlen Unipetrol’s Litvínov Refinery Confronts New Challenges Amid Ongoing Floods**
In the midst of an extraordinary flooding event, Orlen Unipetrol has been diligently preparing to mitigate potential risks at its state-of-the-art refining and petrochemical complex in Litvínov, Czech Republic. The complex, known for its 5.4-million tonne/year integrated operations, restarted its production recently after a brief shutdown necessitated by the discovery and controlled detonation of an unexploded World War II aerial bomb in August.
### Background
To keep operations running smoothly and ensure the safety of both humans and equipment, Orlen Unipetrol’s internal crisis teams have been engrossed in meticulous planning. These teams are focused on minimizing the negative impacts from the recent weather event, which has seen a severe low-pressure storm—named Boris—move through central Europe. This storm has caused mass flooding and has led to widespread disruptions, affecting multiple countries including the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, and Romania.
### Preparations Against Flood Threats
As of September 16, operations at both the refining and petrochemical sites remained ongoing despite the challenging conditions. Orlen Unipetrol has ensured that all necessary measures are in place to safeguard the production plants, feedstocks, finished products, and the surrounding environment. The company is coordinating with its network of Orlen gas stations across the Czech Republic to restore safe operations at least nine gas stations that were closed due to the flooding situation.
### Ongoing Shutdown and Restart Efforts
Just days before the latest flood threats, Orlen Unipetrol had successfully resumed all operations at the Litvínov complex. This restart followed the completion of site safety inspections conducted by the Czech Republic police, fire, and rescue services. These inspections were a direct result of the controlled detonation of the World War II bomb on August 30. The bomb’s removal did