Orlen will explore the possibility of acquiring Grupa Azoty Puławy by the end of 2023
PKN Orlen will explore the possibility of acquiring Grupa Azoty Puławy. The company CEO Daniel Obajtek hopes that this phase of the concentration will be completed this year.
Orlen and Grupa Azoty have signed a letter of intent to begin research into a possible takeover of the nitrogen plants in Puławy. „We have an opportunity to merge nitrogen plants. We have signed a letter of intent for the initial stage of research on the acquisition of Grupa Azoty Puławy,” said Daniel Obajtek, president of PKN Orlen.
„The idea of consolidating Polish fertilizer plants appeared back in the ’90s. Of course, as with ideas, they are not always implemented. In 2010, Orlen took over the company Anwil and there was a proposal about merging with Puławy. However, those talks had no effect and the merger did not take place,” said Daniel Obajtek.
„Today we return to this concept, we have a chance to orchestrate a merger through the Orlen Group. That is why we have signed a letter of intent, which begins the stage of research into the acquisition of Grupa Azoty Puławy. We want to do that by the end of the year. This will strengthen this branch of our business and Poland’s energy security,” the CEO stressed.
Tomasz Hinc, the President of Grupa Azoty, announced that a due diligence study would be carried out, i.e. a comprehensive analysis of the company’s state, and after that both entities would enter into negotiations. „This is a special moment in the history of the Polish chemical industry. The interest expressed by PKN Orlen testifies to the value and potential of the plants in Puławy, which are an important part of Grupa Azoty. We are at the beginning of a process that began today. We are facing due diligence and negotiation process. We have outlined the time horizon in which we will implement this,” emphasized Tomasz Hinc.
Grupa Azoty Puławy, part of Grupa Azoty since 2013, is a producer of nitrogen fertilizers including melamine, caprolactam, polyamide, OXO alcohols and titanium white. It is worth adding that Grupa Azoty is the second biggest producer of nitrogen and multi-component fertilizers in the European Union.
Jędrzej Stachura
Polish court blocks the Turów mine. Sasin accuses it of supporting foreign interests
The Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw sided with ecological organizations and ordered that coal extraction at the Turów mine be stopped. Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin accused the court of representing foreign interests.
Die Grosse Kreisstadt Zittau, Greenpeace Ceská Republika, Horst Schiermayer, German Greenpeace and the Frank Bold Foundation petitioned the court to suspend the implementation of the decision they contested to continue lignite mining at the Turów mine. Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed on mining terms ending the legal dispute in this case. Environmentalists, however, believe that Turów is harmful to the environment and demand an end to mining. Their request concerned a mining concession granted to Turów until 2024.
„The Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw pursues foreign interests. At the request of Die Große Kreisstadt Zittau, the Czech and German branches of Greenpeace and the Frank Bold Foundation, the judges demand the closure of the Turów mine. We won’t let that happen! We will protect 60,000 jobs,” State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin tweeted.
„We will use all legal means at our disposal in the complaint proceedings before the Supreme Administrative Court. We will not allow Turow to be closed,” said Wojciech Dąbrowski, CEO of PGE.
PGE believes that when making the decision, the court did not refer to the position presented by PGE GiEK, did not assess the position of the applicants, and based its ruling on their statements without making its own analysis and verifying whether there was any basis for halting the implementation of the decision.
NFOŚiGW increases spending on e-car charges by nearly PLN 20 million
Energa-Operator will receive a grant from the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) for the reconstruction of five Main Power Supply Points (GPZ), which will increase the connection capabilities for the distribution network of fast charging points at 16 passenger service points located on the A1 and A2 motorways.
NFOŚiGW reports that the reconstruction in the „design and build” mode will include power points: GPZ Lisewo, GPZ Toruń Bielawy, GPZ Kraski, GPZ Słupca, and GPZ Krągola. „The contractors selected by the beneficiary within the framework of the contract will develop construction projects, investor cost estimates and obtain all permits, opinions and agreements necessary to perform construction works. Each station will have two transformers WN and SN (high and medium voltage) TR 110/15 kV with capacity from 16 to 40 MVA, adequately protected with the necessary automation and additional equipment. Next will be the switchgear HV and SN and the corresponding cable connections,” a press release said.
The investments will also involve the adaptations of buildings, preparation of areas, measurements and tests, start-up and commissioning of new infrastructure. The area and infrastructure of the 5 GPZ will be protected by technical security systems consisting of sensor and alarm systems. The planned completion of construction works is scheduled for December 2025.
The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management says the entire project will cost about PLN 32.7 million.
NFOŚiGW / Jędrzej Stachura