ORLEN has secured certification under the Oil and Gas Institute’s KZR INiG sustainability scheme for co-hydrotreatment of bio-based feedstocks at its Płock refinery, clearing the way for the company to expand biofuel production and increase the renewable content of its fuels.
The certification confirms that the renewable feedstocks used by ORLEN and the processing methods meet European Union requirements, allowing the resulting biofuel components to count towards the EU’s renewable energy targets for transport.
ORLEN currently has capacity to process around 100,000 tonnes of bio-based feedstocks a year. Planned upgrades are expected to lift that figure to approximately 150,000 tonnes.
"The KZR INiG certification confirms ORLEN’s readiness to further expand the production of biofuel components from renewable feedstocks. By using our existing refinery units, we can increase the share of renewable components in fuels while preparing to meet the requirements of the RED III Directive.
"This is an important part of the energy transition and of developing a domestic feedstock base for the biofuels sector,’ said Grzegorz Jóźwiak, Executive Director for Biofuels and Hydrogen at ORLEN.
KZR INiG is recognised by the European Commission and verifies both the origin of renewable feedstocks and compliance of the production process with applicable EU requirements.
The certification strengthens ORLEN’s ability to scale up co-hydrotreatment, a process that allows bio-based materials to be processed alongside conventional fossil feedstocks in existing refinery units. That means the company can increase the renewable share of fuels without building entirely new production facilities.
At present, ORLEN can process bio-based materials representing up to 3.5% of the total feed, equivalent to about 100,000 tonnes of renewable feedstocks annually. Potential inputs include vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil and used cooking oil (UCO).
The company plans to broaden the certification to cover additional oilseed crops, including camelina and mustard, further expanding its potential renewable feedstock base.
In July 2026, ORLEN tested the technology at Płock with the aim of increasing the share of vegetable oil in the process from 3.5% to 5%. The tests confirmed the potential to scale up the technology. Once the required upgrades are completed, annual renewable-feedstock processing capacity is expected to reach about 150,000 tonnes.
The expansion is part of ORLEN’s preparations for the EU’s RED III Directive and its ‘Biocrops for Biofuels’ programme, which aims to build a stronger domestic feedstock base for the biofuels sector.
The programme is being developed with research institutions and agricultural partners and includes initiatives focused on cultivating crops such as camelina and mustard.
By expanding co-hydrotreatment, increasing refinery capacity and developing domestic feedstock supplies, ORLEN aims to raise the renewable content of fuels while strengthening Poland’s supply security.
The strategy could also create new opportunities for Polish farmers and the wider biofuels industry by increasing demand for domestically produced renewable feedstocks.
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