Management of material topic: waste
Waste
- 11.5.1
- 11.5.2
Waste generation and significant wasterelated impacts
- 11.5.3
Management of significant waste-related impacts
The ORLEN Group is implementing a Circular Economy Programme. To this end, it is consolidating the ORLEN Group’s operations related to waste recycling and waste processing into high-margin products and energy, for instance by implementing a polymer recycling technology with an installed capacity of 300 thousand tonnes by 2030.
Circular economy promotes rational use of resources and mitigation of adverse environmental impacts of manufactured goods, which – in common with materials and raw materials – should remain in the economy as long as possible, with waste reduced to a minimum.
ORLEN engages in various projects and programmes designed to utilise alternative and waste materials. These include:
- PPIGOZ – a project to increase the use of waste materials in the circular economy system, which focuses on recycling and reuse of plastic materials; It was launched in June 2020 and rolled out in close coordination with ORLEN Unipetrol under a parallel initiative of ‘SpoluRazem’. The project primarily aims to implement on an industrial scale and integrate chemical recycling of waste plastic at ORLEN into traditional oil refining for the petrochemical industry, particularly polymers; obtain new products, new margins and new markets for circular polymers, including LDPE; implement pro-environmental policy contribute to the achievement of new levels of recycling; and decarbonise petrochemical production (final products). In 2022, work was in progress on the following workstreams:
- Research and Development (R&D),
- Development and Technology,
- Sales and Market,
- External Environment.
- COMBO – a project seeking to use all municipal waste components through deployment of technology that would be properly scaled to the morphological composition of waste. The project will use the following technologies:
- Pyrolysis of plastic as feedstock for refining and petrochemical processes,
- Thermal treatment of waste, e.g. gasification to produce hydrogen or generate electricity,
- Biogas plants using biogas to generate electricity or as biofuel (biohydrogen).
Some of the tasks completed in 2022 were:
- Consultations concerning a waste sorting plant were held with the Technical Advisor.
- Work on a report concerning feedstock for a Waste Gasification, Pyrolysis and Sorting Plant was completed.
- A legal analysis of the possibility of purchasing land for the COMBO plant was commenced.
- An environmental analysis of the land to be used for the development of the COMBO plant was performed, which found no reasons against the construction of the plant.
The Group is also implementing the circularity project Blue Bridge, which will help to reduce raw water withdrawal from the Vistula river by around 25%. The project will also improve water quality in the Vistula owing to reduced water withdrawal as well as reduced municipal wastewater discharged into the river by the Płock municipal water works, Wodociągi Płockie. The Blue Bridge project provides for the treatment of pre-treated municipal wastewater at the municipal treatment plant operated by Wodociągi Płockie, and transport of the treated wastewater to the water intake point of ORLEN’s production plant in Płock for use in industrial processes. In 2022, relevant agreements were signed between representatives of ORLEN and the City of Płock. The project is due to be placed in service in 2025.
The initiatives planned as part of the circular economy programme also have a significant decarbonisation potential since mechanical and chemical recycling of plastics is a way to save significant amounts of energy and raw materials used in the manufacturing process.
- 11.5.4
Waste generated
- 11.5.5
Waste diverted from disposal
- 11.5.6
Waste directed to disposal
Waste generated by the ORLEN Group includes primarily waste from processing of crude oil, production of organic chemicals and fuel combustion, as well as sludge from treatment of industrial wastewater, waste oils and post-repair waste.
The total volume of waste other than municipal waste generated in 2022 by the Group companies exceeded 371 thousand Mg. Of the total waste volumes generated last year, 316 thousand Mg was transferred to licensed third parties for recovery or disposal, while 18.7 thousand Mg was transferred to licensed collection companies within the ORLEN Group. Group companies recovered almost 109 thousand Mg of waste generated internally and collected from third parties, and disposed of almost 153 thousand Mg of waste in their own facilities.
Read also:
Short-cuts:
ORLEN Group 2022 Integrated Report
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