ORLEN Unipetrol has completed the modernisation of the unit producing electrically conductive soot, Chezacarb. Implementing state-of-the-art technologies in a unique production unit that will be subsequently expanded will increase production capacity and streamline the use of raw materials and energy sources. Thus, the Group is meeting its commitments to sustainable development, innovation, and technological progress announced within its development strategy until 2030.

Chezacarb is soot with electrical conductivity properties that is a byproduct of partial oxidation, which processes crude oil residues with oxygen and steam at high temperatures of up to 1300 °C.

The first modernisation stage included 25 projects and focused on revitalising and implementing new technologies in production. The total investment in modernising the facility that underwent guarantee tests this year was CZK 270 million.

“Upgrading the Chezacarb unit is part of the long-term plan of modernising our production facilities. This investment will ensure continued safe and stable operations in the coming years. The new technologies will raise the unit’s availability and reliability and reduce the energy intensity while preserving production capacities. We will expand the unit with a third production line in the next years to process all soot water effectively,” says Maciej Romanów, a member of the board of directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.

The unit will be expanded to include a third production line by 2028. It will increase the capacity and streamline the challenging operations. Chezacarb is used in industrial applications, including plastic dyeing and producing materials requiring static electricity prevention. Other applications include the environmental segment using Chezacarb’s excellent sorption qualities.

The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic.