ORLEN launches HVO plant to produce 300 thousand tonnes of biofuels annually from domestic feedstocks
ORLEN has significantly expanded its biofuel production capacity with the launch of a state-of-the-art hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) plant in Płock with a rated annual output of around 300 thousand tonnes. The investment strengthens a domestic value chain based on locally sourced feedstocks while supporting the decarbonisation of transport. Valued at more than PLN 800 million, the facility will also reduce the Group’s reliance on third-party suppliers of biofuel blending components.
‘The HVO plant will materially bolster Poland’s fuel security. Its launch will give ORLEN greater control over a strategically important segment of the biofuels market. We’re increasing in-house production of advanced biofuels, improving cost efficiency, and reducing our exposure to external market volatility. This investment is further proof that professional management can generate tangible benefits for ORLEN, its shareholders and suppliers. We have corrected past mistakes so that this facility can help build a domestic value chain – from feedstocks to finished fuels – while supporting the Polish economy,’ says Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO and President of the Management Board of ORLEN.
HVO plant. Lower emissions and higher biofuel output
Output from the HVO plant will initially be directed to the domestic market. The facility can process rapeseed oil, used cooking oil (UCO) and blended feedstocks to produce high-quality renewable components for road transport fuels. HVO production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65% or more compared with conventional fuels.
The commissioning of the plant will increase the ORLEN Group’s total biofuel production capacity to approximately 700 thousand tonnes annually, with plans to expand the output to 1.1 million tonnes by 2030. The investment supports compliance with Poland’s National Indicative Target (biofuel quota), set at 10% for 2026, while reducing the need to import biofuel components under the EU’s RED III regulatory framework.
The project forms part of ORLEN’s strategy to maximise the utilisation of its existing refining assets through the processing of bio-based feedstocks. The Group has also upgraded two diesel hydrodesulfurisation (HDS) units in Płock for the co-processing of vegetable oils (including rapeseed oil and UCO), thus increasing annual processing capacity by more than 100 thousand tonnes.
Benefits for Polish agriculture
ORLEN is implementing Poland’s largest biofuels investment programme to secure access to key biofuel blending components. In parallel, the Group is developing its ‘Catch Crops for Biofuels’ programme, based on a local-content model and the creation of a domestic value chain. The initiative brings together farmers, industrial partners and technology providers to support the development of domestic feedstocks, particularly for second-generation biofuels that are ultimately intended to supply the HVO plant. This is expected to strengthen supply security, support Polish agriculture and reduce the carbon footprint of the overall production process.
ORLEN already spends approximately PLN 5 billion annually on the purchase of feedstocks from Polish farmers for domestic biofuel production.
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