Polish oil and petrochemicals group PKN Orlen (Plock; www.orlen.pl) is aiming to take full control of Unipetrol (Prague / Czech Republic; www.unipetrol.cz). In 2004, the Polish group bought the Czech state's then 63% share, and therefore the majority in Unipetrol (see Plasteurope.com of 27.05.2004). Now, the Polish company has launched a conditional voluntary tender offer for shares to take over the remaining free float, which will come into effect when at least 90% of Unipetrol's share capital is acquired. The Czech refinery and petrochemical group will then be delisted from the Prague Stock Exchange.

Unipetrol operates an extensive petrol station network in the Czech Republic that is supplied by two refineries in Litvínov and Kralupy. According to Plasteurope.com's Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net), Unipetrol has a naphtha cracker in Litvínov with a capacity of 544,000 t/y of ethylene, as well as downstream capacity for PP and HDPE. A new line for HDPE is currently under construction in Litvínov, with startup planned for the second half of 2018. PVC and caprolactam producer Spolana (Neratovice / Czech Republic; www.spolana.cz) also belongs to the group, although it is operated by Anwil (Włocławek / Poland; www.anwil.com.pl).