ORLEN Unipetrol Doprava from the refining and petrochemical group ORLEN Unipetrol has received the last Siemens Vectron MS 383 locomotive. By taking delivery of the new locomotive, ORLEN Unipetrol has completed the planned modernization of its fleet, which began in 2017, to expand the fleet by a total of seven Siemens Vectron MS electric locomotives. The new Vectron MS locomotives will also contribute to reducing CO2 emissions.
“It is the ORLEN Group’s strategy to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Investments in the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s sustainable development, including the fleet renewal at ORLEN Unipetrol Doprava, are an integral step towards meeting this objective. Furthermore, modern Siemens Vectron MS locomotives help us not only increase the volume and reliability of transportation and optimize operating costs but also lower the production of CO2 emissions, which is part of the ORLEN Group’s strategy for sustainable development,” commented Tomasz Wiatrak, CEO and chairman of the Board of Directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.
Vectron locomotives with an output of 6,400 kW and a regular operating speed of 100 km/h transport mainly chemical products for ORLEN Unipterol. These Vectrons are capable of operating not only in the Czech Republic but also in all neighboring countries - Poland, Slovakia, Germany, and Austria, as well as in Hungary. Great emphasis is put not only on performance but also on safety. In addition to the national train control systems of the respective countries, the locomotives are also equipped with the modern unified European Train Control System (ETCS), GSM-R, and remote diagnostics. One of the important safety aspects of these locomotives is also passive safety, which provides the engineer with survival space in the event of an emergency.
“We are gradually renewing our fleet as planned. The first Siemens Vectron MS locomotive joined our fleet in October 2017, with others arriving gradually. The last, seventh locomotive was added this February. Each locomotive covers approximately 120,000 kilometers per year, replaces 60 trucks, and can transport trains weighing around 2,000 tonnes at 100 km/h. They not only help us increase the volume of transported products but also optimize the total costs of operation and maintenance of the fleet,” said Jaroslav Dvořák, Executive at ORLEN Unipetrol Doprava.
