The River Elbe brings diverse fauna and flora in the vicinity of Spolana Neratovice. The idea to keep European Honey Bees at the site of original chocolate and saccharine production was quickly adopted in 2018. But the bees are important not only for honey production. Spolana’s executive Miroslav Falta points out: “Bees help monitor the quality of the environment and pollinate crops and vegetation growing at our site as well as around it. Therefore, we are very happy that the Spolana Honey fulfils all standards according to expert tests conducted by the Bee Research Institute and that it has received a gold medal in the Czech Honey contest for the fourth time in a row.”

A total of 149 honey samples from Czech beekeepers were registered for this year’s Czech Honey contest, with 113 samples receiving a gold medal and nine receiving a silver medal. The registered honey samples were assessed for their physical and chemical properties, the correctness of the label and overall aesthetic impression of the packaging.

“The Rivel Elbe floral honey from Spolana convinced the expert jury in all aspects and received a gold medal for the maximum number of 100 points. We have performed detailed analyses of the floral honey for the Neratovice-based company before – with excellent results in all monitored criteria. The excellent quality of Spolana Neratovice’s honey repeatedly illustrates other indicators of environmental cleanliness at the site and in its vicinity,” says Dalibor Titěra, executive officer and head of research and testing laboratory at the Bee Research Institute, the organiser of the Czech Honey contest.

There are eight beehives at Spolana. This year’s yield was better than last year. In addition, the vegetation around the beehives did well in the sunny weather. Because of the successful season, beekeepers yielded 90 kilogrammes of honey. The Spolana Honey Harvest was also attended by pupils at the local primary school, who were guided through the entire process from collection to the final bottling of the product.

Spolana is very active in supporting the surrounding environment. In collaboration with the Neratovice branch of the Czech Fishing Union and the Kralupy environmental centre, it has been releasing fish into the River Elbe for nine years. And in collaboration with the non-profit organisation ALKA Wildlife, it also monitors a pair of peregrine falcons nesting at the Spolana site. As a result, Spolana’s production impact on the environment has significantly decreased in recent years. The vicinity of the production site, especially the biological pond, is a popular haven for a host of protected and threatened animal species. The site cleanliness is confirmed by the presence of the river otter, common teal, common kingfisher, and trout, i.e., animals that are highly sensitive to the quality of the environment.

The active support of the environment is also evidenced by the Business for Society award. In 2021, the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, to which Spolana belongs, won first place in the TOP Responsible Company competition in the environmental category. She succeeded in the project of chemical recycling of plastics, which is used for their reuse based on the principles of circular economics.

SPOLANA a.s. is one of the largest chemical manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic. The only manufacturer of PVC and caprolactam also produces ammonium sulphate and sulphuric acid. It currently employs over 700 people. Spolana has been owned by ORLEN Unipetrol since 2016. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and production, distribution and sale of fuels and petrochemical products – mainly plastics and fertilisers. It is one of the major players in the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo with the Mogul brand in Pardubice, the Spolana company in Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina petrol station network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 421 outlets, Benzina ORLEN is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. With 13 sites in Slovakia, it is the fastest-growing network since 2019. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. In 2019, it earned CZK 129 billion and employed more than 4,800 people. In addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives, focusing on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the PKN Orlen Group, the largest oil processor in Central Europe.

Contact details: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, telephone: +420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz​