2023-09-21 13:37 update: 2023-09-22, 19:55
Daniel Obajtek. Photo PAP/Tomasz Gzell
The Orlen Group, Poland's dominant energy conglomerate, has signed a contract for the construction of an oil pressing plant in the country's northeast to a value of about PLN 850 million (EUR 183.94 million), Orlen's CEO has announced.
The plant in Ketrzyn will process 500,000 tonnes of rapeseed a year to produce 200,000 tonnes of oil earmarked for the production of low-emission biofuel, Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek told a Thursday press conference.
"We have an ambitious strategy for the development of biofuel production, which will ensure Orlen Group the position of regional leader in this segment," Obajtek said. "To this end we are investing in refineries in Trzebinia, Jedlicze, Plock and Gdansk, and our latest undertaking is the construction of our own rapeseed oil press in Ketrzyn."
The plant's projected capacity is sufficient to provide 1/7 of the resource's national production, Orlen said. The press will be supplied with rapeseed primarily from Polish sources, the national harvest of which stood at 3.6 million tonnes in 2022.
Construction is scheduled to start in the first half of 2024 with completion set for mid-2026.
The project's general contractor will be a consortium of engineering and construction firms Polimex Mostostal and AB Industry.
The plant will directly provide 100 new jobs, Orlen said.(PAP)
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