“I am delighted that the
‘Challenge for a Chemist’ competition has become so popular among children. We
have long been striving to show that chemistry is not just about textbook
theory, but that it also has a firm place in practice and everyday life. I consider
linking knowledge to real-life tasks and experiences to be key, as it helps
children understand the subject better and remember it. I congratulate the
winners and would also like to thank all the participants who took part in this
year’s competition,” says Piotr Tomiło, Managing Director of Spolana.
The competition is divided
into two rounds. In the first round, participants take an online test focusing
on chemical knowledge and logical thinking. The best teams then progress to the
second practical round, which is full of experiments, teamwork and physical
challenges. The practical round featured five varied stations where pupils
tried their hand at working with chemical substances and practised the skills
required during interventions by the integrated rescue system.
The station run by the
Central Bohemian Region Fire and Rescue Service attracted a great deal of
interest, where competitors identified an unknown substance using a special kit
for determining hazardous properties. The substance under investigation was
acetone, and the students also had the opportunity to see firsthand how far
away a heat source (igniter) can be from the chemical before it ignites. “Through
hands-on testing, children gain a better understanding of the properties of
hazardous substances and the principles governing their behavior. Such an
experience is irreplaceable and can be decisive in situations involving fires
involving flammable organic substances,” said Col. RNDr. Tomáš Holec, Head of the
Civil Protection and Crisis Management Department at the Central Bohemian
Region Fire and Rescue Service.
At the next station, the
teams completed a task inspired by detective work, in which they used chemical
reactions to determine the composition and origin of unknown substances.
Representatives from Spolana’s laboratories prepared a task focused on determining
the concentration of food-grade vinegar, during which the pupils practised
working with molar mass, density and other parameters. There were also dynamic
disciplines, where competitors extinguished a mixture of petrol and diesel
using a fire extinguisher against the clock and tested their physical fitness
on the firefighting course.
This year’s Chemist’s
Challenge once again offered the children practical tasks and extraordinary
experiences. At the end, they were able to ride a fire engine’s aerial platform
up to a height of 27 metres, from where they could see the entire site at a glance.
The combination of theory and practice, experiences and learning, and chemistry
with real-life situations once again demonstrated how it can motivate pupils
and spark their interest in the natural sciences.
SPOLANA s.r.o. is one
of the leading chemical companies in the Czech Republic, specialising in the
production of sulphuric acid. It currently employs over 160 people. Since 2016,
Spolana has been owned by the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, which is the largest
refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on oil
processing and the production, distribution and sale of fuels and petrochemical
products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it is a
major player on both the Czech and Central European markets. The ORLEN
Unipetrol Group comprises refineries and production plants in Litvínov and
Kralupy nad Vltavou, the Paramo company in Pardubice, the Spolana company in
Neratovice, and a research centre in Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also operates a network of ORLEN petrol stations in the
Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the
largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs over
3,300 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company,
particularly in the areas of supporting sustainable development, education, the
of local communities and the environment. Confirmation of the high standard of
employee care is provided by the prestigious international Top Employer
certificate, which the group received in 2023, 2024 and 2025, as well as a number
of other national awards. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN
Group, which is the largest energy company in Central Europe.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, Press Officer,
telephone: +420 225 001 407, +420 736 502 520, email:pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz