PL

Protection of biodiversity

Capitals:
GRI:
  • 11.4.1
  • 11.4.2
  • 11.4.3
  • 11.4.4
  • 11.4.5
sdgs:
  • 11.4.1

Management of material topic: biodiversity

Both ORLEN and the other ORLEN Group companies make every effort to ensure that their activities have no direct or indirect impacts on local biodiversity, and if such impact is nevertheless identified – that it is contained to the smallest possible area, with mitigation and ecological restoration measures taken in each case.

The ORLEN Group has defined the topic of biodiversity protection as important, and therefore in 2022 a project was launched to develop a Biodiversity Policy for the entire Group.

The ORLEN Group’s main production and administrative facilities are located outside protected areas and do not meet the criteria to be considered relevant to ichthyofauna (marine areas), which means they do not affect the cohesion and integrity of such areas, changing habitat conditions or affecting protected species.

  • 11.4.2

Operational sites owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas:

ORLEN S.A. – Płock

ORLEN S.A.’s production plant is located in Płock, in the Province of Warsaw, encompassing an area of about 12.3 km2. Its primary operations are refining and petrochemical production.  Within a proximity of 10 km from the site boundaries, there are the following forms of nature protection:  4 nature reserves, 2 landscape parks, 2 protected landscape areas, 5 nature and landscape complexes, and 5 Natura 2000 sites. Of particular significance is the Middle Vistula River Valley (code PLB140004), designated as a special bird protection area. According to the Management Plan for this site introduced by the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Warsaw as a local regulation, it is home to 26 protected bird species, some of which are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List). These include the white-tailed eagle, goosander, and corncrake.

ANWIL S.A. – Włocławek

ANWIL S.A.’s production plant, situated in Włocławek, in the Province of Bydgoszcz and Toruń, covers an area of about 5.5 km2. Its primary operations are production of chemicals, including products for the agricultural and petrochemical industries. Within a proximity of 10 km from the site boundaries, there are the following forms of nature protection:  1 nature reserve, 1 protected landscape area, and 3 Natura 2000 sites. One of them is the Włocławek Vistula River Valley (code PLH040039), having the status of a special area of conservation. According to the Management Plan for this site introduced by the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Bydgoszcz as a local regulation, it encompasses various protected high nature value habitats, such as riparian forests, meadows, broadleaved forests, as well as seven animal species, including otter, Atlantic salmon, lamprey, and asp. 

ENERGA Wytwarzanie S.A.

The company’s hydropower facilities are located within bird and habitat areas of the Natura 2000 network, and some of them are also located within landscape protection area and landscape parks. Energa Wytwarzanie minimises the impact of its hydropower facilities on biodiversity of rivers and lakes by, among other measures, constructing fish passes, participating in the restocking of fish into rivers and lakes, cooperating with external entities in scientific research on selected fish species, and – in the case of wind farms – detailed monitoring of bird and bat interactions with the wind turbines. There are 35 protected areas affected by the company’s activities, including Natura 2000 habitat sites, Natura 2000 bird sites, landscape protection areas, nature reserves, the Dolina Słupi Landscape Park with its buffer zone, and the Słowiński National Park (buffer zone). The protected areas listed above are home to about 200-500 species included in the IUCN Red List. 

Rafineria Gdańska S.A.

The company conducts its operations within the Żuławy Gdańskie area, on the southern bank of the Martwa Wisła River. The nearest protected areas include the Ostoja w Ujściu Wisły Natura 2000 site, which is about 800 m away, as well as the Ujście Wisły Special Bird Protection Area and the Ptasi Raj Nature Reserve, located about 2 km away. Following a wildlife survey carried out in 2014, 15 sites of 5 natural habitats covered by European and Polish regulations were identified at Grupa Lotos S.A.’s refinery and within the surrounding area. As a result of the survey, 14 species of protected plants were catalogued in the plant’s vicinity (including the broad-leaved marsh orchid and sea milkweed). The presence of two species included in Annex II to the Habitat Directive, namely the European beaver and the European otter, was also recorded. The presence of 123 species of birds, including white stork, Western marsh harrier, peregrine falcon, and crane, was also recorded. The survey identified the presence of three endangered and protected saltwater fish species (the broadnosed pipefish, straightnose pipefish and sand goby).

  • 11.4.3

Significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity

All projects undertaken by the ORLEN Group have relevant permits required by the Polish law, and assessments of their potential impacts on areas with a high biodiversity value or protected areas are reviewed by authorities competent to issue environmental decisions. The procedure involves an environmental or Natura 2000 site impact assessment, covering potential impacts on protected habitats, as well as plant and animal species. The terms of environmental decisions are such as to limit to the extent possible the potential impact of implemented projects on protected areas, but also areas with a high biodiversity value located outside of protected areas..

The ORLEN Group companies operate based on environmental permits obtained, which strictly define the framework conditions for use of the environment, including use that may involve biodiversity impacts. The conditions of such permits are complied with through close monitoring of the impact of a plant’s operations on various components of the environment. In addition, the ORLEN Group companies initiate all kinds of activities designed to protect biodiversity.

Noteworthy examples include:

  • avifauna monitoring in accordance with the guidelines of relevant environmental decisions (Energa Elektrownie Ostrołęka S.A.),,
  • mounting fish passes at successive facilities for fish and other aquatic organisms to move around man-made barriers, participation in restocking of rivers and lakes with fish, environmental education among contractors (Energa Wytwarzanie S.A.),
  • educational activities held as part of the Blue School project (Rafineria Gdańska Sp. z o.o.),
  • or process upgrades, e.g. involving the flare discharge process, to reduce pollutant emissions (Rafineria Gdańska Sp. z o.o.).
  • 11.4.4

Habitats protected or restored

  • 11.4.5

IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk

The principal business sites of the ORLEN Group, namely ORLEN’s production plant in Płock, ANWIL plant in Włocławek, facilities owned by the Energa Group, ORLEN Unipetrol and Spolana, are wildlife-rich areas, being home to rare species, in some cases protected by Polish and international law. Many of them are included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. This was confirmed by experts conducting wildlife surveys, consisting in field observations of local flora and fauna species. A notable fact is that the list of species living near the ORLEN Group’s plants includes many animals that are sensitive to the quality of the environment.

 

Despite the practice adopted at the ORLEN Group that new projects and infrastructure should not be sited within protected areas, sometimes there are no alternative options. This is for example the case with gas networks (Polska Spółka Gazownictwa) or hydropower projects (Energa Wytwarzanie). Protected areas where facilities operated by those ORLEN Group companies are located or through which they run include: Natura 2000 sites, nature reserves, national/landscape parks, and landscape protection areas.

Presented below are detailed biodiversity characteristics of those areas, as described by the respective ORLEN Group companies.

ORLEN – The production plant in Płock is located outside of protected areas, but in its immediate vicinity is the Nature and Landscape Complex of the Brzeźnica River Ravine, Vistula River Landscape Protection Area and the buffer zone of the Brudzeński Landscape Park.

Activities of the former LOTOS Group companies are not carried out in protected areas with a high biodiversity value. Exploitation of oil and gas deposits in offshore areas (B3 and B8 fields) is conducted in the vicinity of a special bird protection area, but such activities do not change habitat conditions or affect protected species, nor do they affect the cohesion and integrity of those areas

ORLEN Aviation’s activities are conducted within the buffer zone of the Bielańsko-Tyniecki Landscape Park, buffer zone of the Tri-City Landscape Park, the Warsaw Landscape Protection Area and the Forty Modlińskie Natura 2000 site (code: PLH140020)

Hydropower facilities owned by Energa Wytwarzanie S.A. are located within bird and habitat areas of the Natura 2000 network, and some of them are also located within landscape protection parks. The company minimises the impact of its hydropower facilities on biodiversity of rivers and lakes by, among other measures, constructing fish passes, restocking these water bodies with fish, cooperating with external entities in scientific research on selected fish species, and – in the case of wind farms – detailed monitoring of bird and bat interactions with the wind turbines.

There are 35 protected areas affected by the company’s activities, including Natura 2000 habitat sites, Natura 2000 bird sites, landscape protection areas, nature reserves, the Dolina Słupi Landscape Park with its buffer zone, and the Słowiński National Park (buffer zone). The protected areas listed above are home to about 200-500 species included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

Energa Elektrownie Ostrołęka S.A.’s non-hazardous and inert waste landfilling operations are located within the boundaries of the Lower Narew Valley Natura 2000 site. In accordance with the guidelines set out in the relevant environmental decisions, the company conducts avifauna monitoring within the landfill area.

 In accordance with the guidelines set out in the relevant environmental decisions, the company conducts avifauna monitoring within the landfill area. In 2022, bird species included in the Red List of Polish Birds were spotted at the landfill, including:

  • the ruff,
  • wood sandpiper (critically endangered birds),
  • black tern,
  • tawny pipit (birds at risk of extinction);
  • during the breeding season, a breeding habitat of two pairs of tawny pipits was observed;
  • resting birds spotted included 21 specimens of Eurasian curlew (endangered),
  • up to 10 specimens of wigeon (critically endangered),
  • pintail (critically endangered),
  • among migratory birds were the black tern and tawny pipit, as well as the ruff and wood sandpiper.

Operations of the former PGNiG Pakistan Branch are located approximately 80 km away from Kirthar National Park, where animal species from the IUCN Red List have been observed, including the golden eagle, graceful prinia, imperial eagle, rosy starling, tawny pipit, white browed pied wagtail, Balochistan pygmy jerboa, Indian pangolin and striped hyena.

ANWIL S.A. operates in the vicinity of two Natura 2000 sites, namely Włocławska Dolina Wisły (Włocławek Vistula River Valley, code: PLH040039 ) and Dolina Dolnej Wisły (Lower Vistula River Valley, code: PLB040003). A wildlife survey undertaken in 2018 for the site of the ANWIL S.A. plant and its surroundings revealed the presence of more than a dozen protected species, including one plant species.

Rafineria Gdańska conducts its operations within the Żuławy Gdanskie area, on the southern bank of the Martwa Wisła River. The nearest protected areas are the Ostoja w Ujściu Wisły Natura 2000 site, which is about 800 m away, as well as the Ujście Wisły Special Bird Protection Area and the Ptasi Raj Nature Reserve, located about 2 km away.

Rafineria Gdańska Sp. z o.o. is making upgrades to its processes on a continual basis, including the flare discharge process, thereby reducing pollutant emissions Initiatives supporting biodiversity and endangered species include peregrine falcon protection efforts, with a nesting box hung in 2008 by the SOKÓŁ Wildlife Protection Association on the company’s CHP plant stack, in which new falcon hatchlings have been observed since 2013, also online. In partnership with the Gdańsk University Development Foundation and the Hel Marine Station of the Gdańsk University, Rafineria Gdańska Sp. z o.o. is also participating in the ‘Headed for the Baltic’ environmental project. The project included a set of initiatives to protect biodiversity of the Baltic Sea, including the porpoise, an endangered species also known as the Baltic dolphin, and the grey seal. Strong emphasis was also placed on environmental education and awareness of the problem related to the presence of plastics and microplastics in the Baltic Sea. In 2022, educational activities of the Blue School were attended by about 15,000 students.

While the outdoor educational events in the Pomerania region attracted some 13,000 participants. A place where local biodiversity is concentrated and where rare and protected species have been found is the Martwa Wisła River. Following a wildlife survey carried out in 2014, 15 sites of five natural habitats covered by European and Polish regulations were identified at the Lotos Group’s refinery and within the surrounding area. As a result of the survey, 14 species of protected plants were catalogued in the plant’s vicinity (including the broad-leaved marsh orchid Dactylorhiza majalis, sea milkweed Glaux maritima, sea arrowgrass Triglochin maritimum, and adder’s tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum). The presence of two species included in Annex II to the Habitat Directive, namely the European beaver Castor fiber and the European otter Lutra Lutra, was also recorded. 123 species of birds were identified, of which 83 were breeding and likely breeding taxa, and the remaining 40 were migratory, nomadic or visiting species. The breeding species include the white stork (C. ciconia), Western marsh harrier (C. aeruginosus), peregrine falcon (F. peregrinus), crane (G. grus), woodlark (L. arborea), tawny pipit (A. campestris) and red-backed shrike (L. collurio). The survey also identified the presence of three endangered and protected saltwater fish species (the broadnosed pipefish, straightnose pipefish and sand goby).

Polska Spółka Gazownictwa Sp. z o.o – in 2022, it obtained seven environmental decisions for projects sited within protected areas or within a 500 m distance from protected areas.

Activities of GEOFIZYKA Toruń S.A. have a short-term direct impact on biodiversity only during a project’s implementation. Protected areas in the vicinity of the company’s projects include: Lupa Reserve, Natura 2000 sites: Lasy Sieniawskie (code: PLH180054), Bory Babimojskie (code: PLH080063), Rynna Jezior Obrzańskich (code:PLH080002), Pojezierze Sławskie (code: PLB300011), Jeziora Pszczewskie i Dolina Obry (code: PLB080005), Barycz Valley Landscape Park, Natura 2000 sites: Barycz Valley (code: PLB020001), Ostoja nad Baryczą (code: PLH020041), Chłodnia w Cieszkowie (code: PLH020001), Milice Ponds Nature Reserve, Natura 2000 sites: Uroczyska Płyty Krotoszyńskiej (code: PLH300002), Dąbrowy Krotoszyńskie (code: PLB300007); Natura 2000 sites: Dolny Dunajec (code: PLH120085), Biała Tarnowska (code: PLH120090), Natura 2000 site: Walaszczyki in Częstochowa (code: PLH240028), buffer zone of the Upper Liswarta River Forest Landscape Park; Natura 2000 sites: Dolina Mogielnicy (code: PLH300033), Ostoja Wielkopolska (code: PLH300010), BędlewoByczyny (code: PLH300039), Ostoja Rogalińska (code: PLB300017), buffer zone of the Wielkopolski National Park

The ORLEN Group takes a number of initiatives to promote biodiversity and support protected species. These include: joining the project to restore the peregrine falcon population (ORLEN, ANWIL, UNIPETROL, Rafineria Gdańska), protection of the white stork species in Poland (Energa Group), measures to preserve the honeybee (ORLEN, former LOTOS Group, ORLEN Eko, UNIPETROL), sowing of flower meadows (ORLEN, ENERGA, ORLEN Laboratorium, ORLEN KolTrans, ORLEN Południe), planting of forests (ORLEN, ORLEN KolTrans, ORLEN Lietuva), reclaiming land and landfill sites, including for sports and recreation (Energa, PGNIG TERMIKA), waste collection and clean up the world campaigns (ORLEN, ANWIL, ORLEN Eko, ORLEN Południe), and many lesser initiatives that significantly support the preservation of biodiversity and environmental education of local communities.

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