ORLEN Expands Domestic Biofuel Capacity with New HVO Facility Supporting Poland’s Fuel Security and Transport Decarbonisation

ORLEN Expands Domestic Biofuel Capacity with New HVO Facility Supporting Poland’s Fuel Security and Transport Decarbonisation

(IN BRIEF) ORLEN has launched a new hydrotreated vegetable oil plant in Płock with an annual rated output of around 300 thousand tonnes, expanding its domestic biofuel production capacity and supporting the decarbonisation of road transport. The facility, valued at more than PLN 800 million, will process rapeseed oil, used cooking oil and blended feedstocks to produce renewable fuel components initially intended for the Polish market. HVO production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% compared with conventional fuels. The new plant will increase ORLEN Group’s total biofuel production capacity to approximately 700 thousand tonnes annually, with a target of 1.1 million tonnes by 2030. The investment also supports Poland’s National Indicative Target for biofuels, set at 10% for 2026, and reduces the need for imported biofuel components under the EU’s RED III framework. ORLEN is also developing its Catch Crops for Biofuels programme to build a domestic supply chain involving farmers, industrial partners and technology providers, strengthening Polish agriculture and improving feedstock security for future second-generation biofuels.

(PRESS RELEASE) PŁOCK, 27-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — ORLEN has launched a new hydrotreated vegetable oil plant in Płock, significantly increasing its biofuel production capacity and strengthening Poland’s domestic renewable fuels value chain.

The state-of-the-art HVO facility has a rated annual production capacity of around 300 thousand tonnes and represents an investment of more than PLN 800 million. The plant is designed to produce renewable fuel components from locally sourced feedstocks, supporting the decarbonisation of transport while reducing ORLEN’s dependence on external suppliers of biofuel blending components.

The launch marks an important step in expanding domestic production of advanced biofuels and reinforcing Poland’s fuel security. By increasing in-house production, ORLEN aims to improve cost efficiency, gain greater control over a strategically important segment of the biofuels market and reduce its exposure to external market volatility.

Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO and President of the Management Board of ORLEN, said the HVO plant will materially strengthen Poland’s fuel security by giving the company greater control over a key part of the biofuels market. He noted that the investment will help build a domestic value chain from feedstocks to finished fuels while supporting the Polish economy, shareholders and suppliers.

The plant’s output will initially be directed to the domestic market. The facility is capable of processing rapeseed oil, used cooking oil and blended feedstocks to produce high-quality renewable components for road transport fuels. HVO production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% compared with conventional fuels, supporting lower-emission mobility and the broader energy transition.

With the new facility in operation, ORLEN Group’s total biofuel production capacity will rise to approximately 700 thousand tonnes per year. The Group plans to increase this figure further to 1.1 million tonnes annually by 2030.

The investment will also support ORLEN’s compliance with Poland’s National Indicative Target for biofuels, which is set at 10% for 2026. At the same time, increased domestic production will reduce the need to import biofuel components under the European Union’s RED III regulatory framework.

The HVO plant forms part of ORLEN’s broader strategy to maximise the use of its existing refining assets by processing bio-based feedstocks. As part of this strategy, the Group has upgraded two diesel hydrodesulfurisation units in Płock to enable the co-processing of vegetable oils, including rapeseed oil and used cooking oil. These upgrades increase annual processing capacity by more than 100 thousand tonnes.

ORLEN is also advancing Poland’s largest biofuels investment programme to secure access to critical blending components. Alongside the new HVO plant, the Group is developing its Catch Crops for Biofuels programme, which is based on a local-content model and the creation of a domestic supply chain.

The programme brings together farmers, industrial partners and technology providers to support the development of Polish feedstocks, particularly for second-generation biofuels intended to supply the HVO plant in the future. The initiative is expected to improve supply security, strengthen Polish agriculture and reduce the carbon footprint of the overall production process.

ORLEN already spends around PLN 5 billion each year on feedstocks purchased from Polish farmers for domestic biofuel production. The launch of the HVO plant is expected to further reinforce the role of local agriculture in the company’s renewable fuels strategy and support the development of a more resilient, locally anchored biofuel market.

Media contact:
media@orlen.pl

SOURCE: ORLEN