Ermewa And ORLEN Unipetrol Expand Cooperation

ORLEN Unipetrol Group is investing in the modernization of its rail transport: the petrochemical company has leased 81 brand new LPG Safety++ tank cars from wagon owner Ermewa. The last tranche of the delivery arrived at ORLEN Unipetrol Doprava in Litvínov in the middle of the year and is now in use for the subsidiary's LPG transport in Eastern Europe. The cooperation also includes regular operational maintenance by Ermewa.

"I am pleased that the contract with Ermewa contributes to the modernization of our subsidiary ORLEN Unipetrol Doprava's fleet for domestic and international transports," says Ryszard Pilch, Member of the Management Board of ORLEN Unipetrol Group and responsible for logistics and transport of fuels and products. "The new tank wagons made of fine-grained steel meet all safety standards and requirements and allow us to transport larger volumes of freight in one train, thus boosting transport efficiency," emphasizes Pilch. With the signing of the leasing contracts, the two companies have further consolidated their proven cooperation. ORLEN Unipetrol has been using Ermewa wagon equipment for 26 years.

The new LPG Safety++, jointly designed by Ermewa and the Polish manufacturer CHEMET, brings a wide range of the most advanced safety features and a forward-looking technical design to the track. Highlights include the lightweight bogies with an integrated compact brake, a particularly resistant protective shield and the "KEf" control valve from Knorr-Bremse with ready-made interfaces for telematics sensors for brake monitoring. The reduced tare weight of the 117 m³ wagon allows an increased payload and improves economy in daily use.

"Our new LPG Safety++ is becoming a top success," says Cyrille Guyon, Regional General Manager Eastern Europe at Ermewa. Demand for the new wagons in Poland, Italy and other European countries is high. Ermewa has therefore now ordered a further 150 wagons from CHEMET in addition to the 240 wagons already ordered in 2020.