Poland’s energy giant announces plans for complete independence from Russian oil

Polish state-run energy giant Orlen is poised to become fully independent of Russian oil supplies, according to CEO Ireneusz Fąfara.

Speaking to the Polish state news agency PAP, Fąfara noted that this shift will follow the expansion of pipeline infrastructure in the Czech Republic.

“The Orlen Group is well-prepared to entirely forgo Russian oil, which is currently processed only at our Litvínov-Záluží refinery in the Czech Republic,” said Fąfara. He highlighted that expanding the transmission infrastructure in the Czech Republic is crucial for this transition, as it is currently the main obstacle to eliminating Russian oil imports.

Czech pipeline operator MERO ČR is overseeing the infrastructure expansion project, which aims to facilitate increased oil imports from southern sources and reduce reliance on Russian crude. The project is anticipated to be completed by 2025.

Fąfara emphasized that Polish refineries are not using Russian crude oil and that Orlen has already taken steps to ensure the Litvínov plant can process non-Russian crude effectively. “Tests are ongoing at the Litvínov plant, where blends of non-Russian crude are being successfully processed,” he added.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Orlen announced that it had concluded a contract with the British global oil and gas behemoth BP for the supply of 6 million tons of crude oil from Norwegian deposits in the North Sea.

The supplies are expected to cover roughly 15% of Orlen’s annual demand for crude oil.

The first tanker with the contracted crude oil will arrive at the Baltic port city of Gdańsk in northern Poland next month.

News.Az