Orlen facts for kids
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Orlen's headquarters in Płock, Poland
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| Spółka Akcyjna | |
| Traded as |
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| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=PLPKN0000018 PLPKN0000018] |
| Industry | Petroleum |
| Founded | Płock, Poland 7 September 1999 as Polski Koncern Naftowy |
| Headquarters | , |
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Area served
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Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Slovakia |
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Key people
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Ireneusz Fąfara (President and CEO) Wojciech Popiołek (Chairman of the supervisory board) |
| Products | Fuel, crude oil and other natural gas |
| Brands | Orlen, CPN, Star, Unipetrol, Benzina, Orlen Lietuva, Turmöl |
| Revenue |  PLN 292.747 billion€59.447 billion (2022) |
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Operating income
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PLN 10.656 billion (2019) |
| PLN 29.550 billion (2022) |
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| Total assets | PLN 292.747 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | PLN 535 million (2017) |
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Number of employees
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64,494 (2022) |
Orlen S.A. (often just called Orlen) is a big company from Poland. It works with oil and natural gas. Orlen refines oil, which means it turns crude oil into useful products like petrol (gasoline). It also sells petrol at many stations and trades natural gas. Its main office is in Płock, Poland.
Orlen owns important oil and gas companies in other countries. For example, it owns Unipetrol in the Czech Republic and Orlen Lietuva in Lithuania. The company operates in many countries, including Austria, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Pakistan, and Slovakia.
The Polish state owns nearly half of Orlen's shares. This makes the Polish government its biggest owner. Orlen is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, where people can buy and sell its shares. In 2022, the company made over 278 billion Polish złoty (about 62 billion US dollars).
Orlen employs more than 64,000 people. It has over 3,400 petrol stations in seven countries. Orlen sells its products to more than 100 countries worldwide. It is the largest company in Central and Eastern Europe. Orlen is also listed in major global rankings like Fortune Global 500.
Contents
Orlen's Story: How It Grew
Starting Big: Orlen's Beginnings (1999–2002)
Orlen was formed in 1999. The Polish government decided to combine two state-owned oil companies. These were Centrala Produktów Naftowych (which sold petrol) and Petrochemia Płock (which refined oil). After they merged, the company was first called Polski Koncern Naftowy (PKN).
A few months later, the name Orlen was added as the company's brand. The name "Orlen" comes from the Polish word "orzeł," which means "eagle." It also includes "energia," which means "energy."
Growing Across Borders (2003–2014)
After 2002, Orlen started to grow a lot. In 2003, it bought 500 petrol stations in Northern Germany from another company called BP. By 2007, Orlen had 581 stations in Germany. Most of these were under the Star brand.
Orlen also looked for partners in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2003, it signed an agreement with MOL, a Hungarian oil company. They wanted to work together to become stronger in the region.
In 2005, Orlen bought a large part of Unipetrol, a Czech company. This made Orlen a major player in the Czech Republic. In 2006, Orlen made its biggest investment ever. It bought most of Mažeikių Nafta, the largest company in Lithuania. This made Orlen the biggest company in Central Europe.
In 2010, Orlen was the largest fuel seller in Poland. It had over 2,000 locations. The company also ran a very advanced plant for making terephthalic acid. This is a chemical used to make plastics. Orlen also sponsors the Orlen Arena in Płock.
To become an oil producer, Orlen expanded into Canada. In 2013, it bought an oil and gas company called TriOil Resources Ltd. In 2014, it bought another company, Birchill Exploration Ltd. This helped Orlen produce more oil. Orlen also owns Poland's largest plastics company, Basell Orlen Polyolefins, with a Dutch-American partner.
Becoming a Multi-Energy Company (2015–Present)
Since 2018, Orlen has been changing its business. It wants to become a "multi-energy" company. This means it will work with more than just oil and gas. In 2019, Orlen opened its first petrol station in Slovakia. It used its Czech company, Unipetrol, and the Benzina brand.
In 2020, Orlen bought a large part of Energa, an energy company. It also got permission to take over Grupa Lotos, another big oil company. This merger was completed in August 2022.
Orlen also bought a majority of Ruch SA, a newsagent chain. In 2021, it bought Polska Press, a media company. This decision caused some discussion about press freedom.
Orlen is also investing in renewable energy. In 2020, it bought a biogas plant. This plant turns waste into biomethane, a type of natural gas. In 2021, Orlen bought four wind farms. These farms use wind to create electricity.
In 2020, Orlen announced a big goal: to become emission-neutral by 2050. This means it wants to produce no net carbon dioxide emissions. To do this, it plans to reduce emissions from its oil refining and power plants.
Orlen has also expanded into new services. In 2021, it opened its first Orlen w ruchu convenience stores. These are small shops that sell everyday items. In September 2021, Orlen started Orlen Paczka. This service allows people to send and pick up packages at special lockers.
In December 2022, Orlen entered the Hungarian market. It took over 143 petrol stations from Hungary's MOL. This was part of a deal related to the Lotos merger. In March 2023, Orlen began sponsoring the Stadion im. Kazimierza Górskiego in Płock.
On July 3, 2023, the company changed its name from PKN Orlen to Orlen S.A. This change shows its move away from just fossil fuels. In September 2023, Orlen bought a part of an Austrian oil trading company. This company operates 266 petrol stations in Austria under the Turmöl brand.
Orlen is also investing in offshore wind power. In August 2023, it approved an investment in a large wind farm in the Baltic Sea. This farm will have 76 wind turbines. It will provide energy to over 1.5 million homes by 2026. Orlen also plans to build small modular reactors (SMRs) in Poland by 2030. These are small nuclear power plants.
Orlen's Sponsorships
Orlen supports many sports and athletes in Poland. It sponsors the Polish Athletic Association and the Polish Volleyball Federation. It also supports the Polish Olympic and Paralympic Committees. Orlen sponsors Polish motorsport athletes like Bartosz Zmarzlik and Jakub Przygoński.
In 2019, Orlen started sponsoring Formula One racing. It sponsored the Williams Racing team and driver Robert Kubica. Later, it became a main sponsor for the Alfa Romeo Racing team. In 2023, Orlen signed a deal with the Scuderia AlphaTauri team. Orlen also sponsors the ski jumping hill in Oberstdorf, Germany, now called ORLEN Arena Oberstdorf.
Orlen's Brands and Companies
Orlen has several brands for its petrol stations and other businesses. It also owns many different companies that work together as the Orlen Group.
Orlen Petrol Station Brands
- Orlen (used in Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia)
- CPN (an older Polish brand, used in two locations)
- Star (used in Germany)
- Unipetrol (a Czech national petrol company)
- Orlen Lietuva (used in Lithuania)
- Benzina (used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
- Turmöl (used in Austria)
Images for kids
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Orlen station in Poland
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Orlen station for refueling boats in Poland
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CPN station in Poland
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Star station in Germany
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Benzina station in the Czech Republic
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Turmöl station in Austria
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See also
In Spanish: Orlen para niños
- List of petroleum companies
- List of largest Polish companies
