Latest news with #IreneuszFąfara
Euractiv
01-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Polish energy giant Orlen cuts last ties to Russian oil
WARSAW – Polish refiner Orlen says it has officially 'freed the region from Russian crude oil' after terminating its final supply contract with Russia for one of its refineries in Czechia. At the end of June, the company terminated its last remaining contract for crude oil supplies from the East. This means that Orlen – and the entire region – will no longer be bound by any agreements with Russian entities for the delivery of oil, according to the statement. 'We have closed this chapter and are now working together to build a secure future for the region. Today, we source oil from all over the world,' said Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO of Orlen. 'Our refineries process crude from the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, the North Sea, Africa, and both Americas. This is what energy security looks like today – the kind we promised to the people of Poland and the entire region.' Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Polish government and its state-owned energy companies moved to completely cease imports of Russian coal, gas, and oil. The contract with Rosneft, which ended on 30 June, 2025, was the last agreement linking Orlen to Russian oil. Earlier, the company had terminated other supply contracts for deliveries to Poland via the Druzhba pipeline. Orlen also ceased importing Russian crude by sea. The contract was signed 12 years earlier and provided for oil deliveries to the refinery in Litvínov, Czechia. Orlen's other facility in the country, located in Kralupy, processed only non-Russian crude. However, due to insufficient pipeline capacity for imports from alternative sources, the Litvínov refinery relied on supplies from the Druzhba pipeline. As a result, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Czech government requested an exemption from EU sanctions in order to continue importing Russian oil and ensure adequate fuel supply for the Czech market. During this time, Orlen prepared the Litvínov refinery – which had relied on Russian oil since its inception – to process alternative crude grades. The company carried out a series of technological upgrades and tested various crude blends. As a result, Orlen fully switched to alternative sources in March 2025, following the launch of the TAL Plus pipeline, the company explains.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northland and ORLEN begin work on Poland's first offshore wind farm
The offshore construction of the Baltic Power offshore wind farm, a joint venture between Orlen Group and Northland Power, has begun with the installation of monopile foundations in the Baltic Sea. The first two of 78 steel-structured monopiles have been installed. The monopiles will support 15MW wind turbines and offshore substations. With a total capacity of 1.2GW, the Baltic Power wind farm will begin operations in 2026 and generate clean electricity sufficient to power 1.5 million households. Northland Power CEO and president Christine Healy stated: 'As co-developers of Poland's first offshore wind farm, we are excited to contribute our global experience in offshore wind projects and proud of our strong partnership with ORLEN. This achievement demonstrates our progress together and further solidifies our shared commitment to Poland's energy future.' The offshore construction site spans 130km². Its monopiles are 100m long, weigh up to 1,700 tonnes and have a diameter exceeding 9m. A floating installation crane is used to position these foundations into the seabed at depths of 40m. The construction fleet comprises 11 specialised vessels: support ships, tugboats and environmental monitoring ships. The Baltic Power offshore co-ordination centre is managing all offshore construction and maritime traffic. As construction advances, transition pieces will connect the foundations to the turbines, followed by the turbine assembly, offshore substations, inter-array cables and export cables. The installation phase is expected to continue until 2026. The Baltic Power wind farm will become Poland's first offshore wind farm, producing around 4,000 gigawatt hours of zero emission electricity annually. This will lead to a CO₂ emissions reduction of 2.8 million tonnes (mt) per year, compared to traditional power generation. ORLEN SA CEO and president of the management board Ireneusz Fąfara stated: By 2026, energy from the Baltic Sea will be flowing to consumers for the first time. This clean, stable and secure power will drive Poland's economy forward. It also creates opportunities for Polish businesses to grow alongside our project. This is the energy of tomorrow – starting today.' The wind farm is a critical component of the ORLEN Group's strategy, aiming to deploy 4GW of installed capacity in the Baltic Sea through industry partnerships. The ORLEN Group's strategy includes the development of three additional offshore wind farms, with licences already secured. Ireneusz added: 'Already in 2026, the offshore wind farm will be able to cover about 3% of Poland's current energy demand, which corresponds to the needs of more than 1.5 million households. This is a real and very tangible contribution to the country's energy transition.' Offshore wind, combined with energy storage, onshore renewables, gas-fired plants and small modular reactors, will play a pivotal role in Poland's energy transition. Components such as turbine nacelles, subsea cables and offshore substation steel structures are being produced locally. Polish firms are also contributing to geological surveys, engineering design and logistics. "Northland and ORLEN begin work on Poland's first offshore wind farm" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
