Orlen SA’s 16.3-million tonne/year (tpy) dual refining and petrochemical manufacturing site in Plock, Poland, has gained the necessary certification from the country’s Oil and Gas Institute’s (OGI) National Research Institute (INiG) Biomass Certification Systems Office (BCSO) to proceed with increased production of biofuel feedstock components used to produce renewable fuels.

The Plock refinery has been certified under the BCSO’s KZR INiG System—a European Commission-certification scheme that verifies biofuels, bioliquids, and biomass are produced in line with sustainability principles in an environmentally friendly and compliant manner—for the co-hydrotreatment of bio-based feedstocks, confirming Plock’s selection and co-processing of renewable feedstocks at the site comply with European Union (EU) requirements, Orlen said in mid-August.

Alongside allowing Orlen to count its production of biofuel components toward the EU’s renewable energy goals, the KZR INiG certification also confirms Orlen’s readiness to carry out proposed upgrades aimed at expanding its current capacity to process about 100,000 tpy of bio-based feedstocks to about 150,000 tpy, the operator said.

“By using our existing refinery units, we can increase the share of renewable components in fuels while preparing to meet the requirements of the [EU’s Renewable Energy Directive] RED III Directive [mandating increased SAF blending levels], said Grzegorz, Orlen’s executive director for biofuels and hydrogen.

“This is an important part of the energy transition and of developing a domestic feedstock base for the biofuels sector,” Jóźwiak added.

Production overview

The Plock refinery currently operates the co-hydrotreatment process with bio-based materials accounting for up to 3.5% of the feed, amounting to about 100,000 tpy of renewable feedstocks that may include vegetable oils such as rapeseed oil, as well as used cooking oil (UCO).

Upon announcing the KZR INiG certification, Orlen said it plans to extend the certification to cover additional oilseed crops, including camelina and mustard.

Award of the KZR INiG System certification follows Orlen’s July 2026 trials at the Płock refinery designed to test the site’s ability to increase the share of vegetable oil in the process from 3.5-5%. Results of those trials confirmed the refinery’s potential to scale up the technology, according to the operator.

Following the necessary upgrades, Orlen said it expects refinery’s capacity to process renewable feedstocks to rise to the planned 150,000-tpy target.

Orlen’s initiative to increase its production of renewable transportation fuels form part of the company’s preparations to implement the RED III Directive’s “Biocrops for Biofuels” program that specifically seeks to expand the domestic-feedstock base for biofuels.

In addition to supporting an increased share of renewable components in domestic fuels, Orlen said its renewables-based production will also help strengthen the security of Poland’s feedstock supply while opening up new opportunities for Polish agriculture and the biofuels industry.

In line with the company’s objective to steadily increase the share of renewable energy in its fuel mix by 2030, Orlen is installing a new hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) unit at Plock for production of biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) from a feedstock of vegetable oils, UCO and other animal fats.

Scheduled for startup by yearend, the new HVO plant will have a nameplate production capacity of 300,000 tpy, Orlen’s said in its latest annual report to investors.