PKN Orlen will pay an additional CZK 1.645bn for a majority stake in petrochemical group Unipetrol
in early November. The total acquisition price will thus reach CZK 14.695bn.
Separately, Benzina, a retail unit of Unipetrol, plans to raise the number of its petrol stations in the Czech Republic by acquiring and/or building new petrol stations. The current petrol station network will be restructured and modernized. Benzina should at least double its fuel-retail market share from its current 10%. Unipetrol's plan, including its investment, will be available to the public at the beginning of next year. Unipetrol recently lost a tender for 70 ARAL gas stations.
According to the new strategy of integrating Unipetrol into PKN ORLEN, PKN plans to sell units that are not related to Unipetrol's priority businesses: the chemical producers Aliachem, Lovochemie, Agrobochemie and Kaucuk.