A planned emergency drill took place at the Litvínov Refinery on Wednesday, 27 August 2025. During the drill, a fire in an oil storage tank was simulated. The aim of the drill was to test the effectiveness of the company's firefighting equipment, the internal emergency plan of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, and the preparedness of employees and company firefighters.
A simulated fire in an oil storage tank was reported shortly after 9 am. The company's fire brigade immediately rushed to the scene, prepared mobile firefighting equipment for large-scale extinguishing, and successfully put out the fire in less than an hour. During the operation, a controlled evacuation of about two dozen employees also took place.
"Emergency drills are part of regular testing of the company's crisis preparedness and safety procedures. The purpose of this emergency drill was to test our preparedness, compliance with operational regulations, internal emergency plan, and applicable legislation. This time, a simulated fire occurred on one of the oil storage tanks. The drill was also deliberately carried out during the holiday period to test these procedures in the absence of standard crisis management team members," describes the course of the emergency drill Milan Brejchal, member of the Board of Directors of ORLEN Unipetrol, adding: "Given the nature of the simulated event, it was necessary to declare a second-degree emergency and ensure the evacuation of workers from the affected units."
The company’s firefighters focused on practical training for responding to fires involving flammable substances in large-volume storage tanks. They practised deploying mobile firefighting equipment, long-distance water transport, organising radio communication, and cooperating with operational staff. "During the intervention, our firefighters demonstrated their ability to respond quickly, communicate effectively, and coordinate with other units. The exercise allowed us to test the deployment time of selected firefighting equipment for large-volume extinguishing and its technical parameters," added Petr Králert, commander of ORLEN Unipetrol’s Fire and Rescue Service.
Emergency drills are held regularly at the Litvínov Refinery, providing all participating employees with valuable insights for improving safety procedures and supplementing the necessary firefighting equipment. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group hereby confirms its commitment to safety, employee health protection, and responsible operation of its facilities. As the only domestic crude oil processing company, ORLEN Unipetrol is classified as critical national infrastructure and is therefore required by law to review its emergency plan at least once every three years. Yet, the company goes beyond the legal requirements and conducts tactical emergency drills at the Litvínov and Kralupy Refineries on a regular basis every year.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on oil processing and the production, distribution, and sale of fuels and petrochemical products, particularly plastics and fertilizers. It is a major player in all these areas on the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, research center in Brno, logistics companies ORLEN Unipetrol Doprava and Petrotrans, and engineering design company ORLEN Projekt. The group is also the majority owner of the HC VERVA Litvínov ice hockey club.ORLEN Unipetrol also owns the ORLEN network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs 5,000 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. The prestigious international Top Employer certificate, which the group received in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and a number of national awards confirm the high quality of employee care. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy company in Central Europe.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz