“All top-down, administrative and bureaucratic restrictions can only affect the market in a negative way. Stabilization is the most significant aspect so that everyone has free access to our products,” Chief Financial Officer of the Management Board of PKN Orlen, Jan Szewczak said for Telewizja Republika.
He quoted the old saying:
“It’s easy to be wise after the event but this time we are wise enough before the event took place. We as a country and as a concern predicted that these black swans events could happen. We are aware that today access to energy sources is a determinant of the sovereignty and security of the nation, state, and economy. Therefore, among others, there are such consistent actions by PKN Orlen to complete the merger with Lotos and PGNiG.
He emphasized that PKN Orlen prepared the diversification of raw material supplies much earlier than the companies in other countries.
“We’ve been doing it very intensively for several years,” he explained. “At the moment, only 30 percent of oil comes from the East because we have to respect certain agreements. But we are also focused on new investments. We plan a great undertaking, a big project concerning the expansion of the olefin complex “New Płock, New Olefins”, i.e. an investment for several billion PLN. This plan also includes a hydrogen policy, hydrogen based transport and offshore windmills, onshore windmills, biogas plants, and small nuclear energy. Together with our Western partners, we plan to launch the first such reactor in 2029.
He also reminded that PKN Orlen is the largest taxpayer of the State budget.
“Almost PLN 40 billion comes from our group as part of taxes and fees. This is a huge support for the state, society, and nation”.
Jan Szewczak also argued that PKN Orlen does everything to keep prices at gas stations under control.
“All our neighbors have higher prices. It is said that salaries are higher but it is not the case because there are also higher costs of living there. We try to do everything. We show great social sensitivity. We keep in touch with people, we know that this is a challenge for Poles. It does not depend on our concern. The markets went crazy – in two days the price could go up 60% – just like with gas. Freight went crazy too, that is, the fact that you have to order 30 tankers, then deliver this fuel from the Arab direction makes the price go up a few hundred percent.”
He reassured that we are not in danger of fuel shortage.
“The most important thing is to stabilize the market so that everyone has free access to our products. All top-down, administrative and bureaucratic restrictions can only negatively affect the market. I’ve heard all sorts of nonsense about a great model margin. The model margin is something completely different, it has nothing to do with the company’s profit. These are simply quotations of crude oil, petroleum products, etc. It is worth remembering that we also import fuels to Poland.”
He also reminded about investments.
“Our strategy includes zero-emissions until 2050. However, it must be remembered that nothing verifies various plans as much as life. We see today that we will have to look at these issues differently. Today, Germans, Austrians, and Dutch start to say that they will, however, return to coal, so this solidarity will be lost if someone starts to worry about their pocket, their economy, or their market. We are investing a lot and we want to invest in the Baltic Sea – mainly in photovoltaics, but also, as I said before, in small nuclear energy. Moreover, we see the ways such as recycling and biogas plants. The cheapest energy is the energy that we save. We can still do a lot here.”