Procedures are in place at the sites with the primary goal of preventing spills effectively and responding appropriately when necessary. This is also supported by the Chemical Rescue service, a specialist team operating within the LOTOS Group. Possible waste resulting from a spill (e.g. soil contaminated with oil substances) is transferred to specialized companies which deal with their management in accordance with the law. Data on water usage and wastewater discharged are reported at the consolidated level, i.e. the entire LOTOS Group.
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The Company’s use of water resources is based on water rights and integrated permits. The use of these resources does not significantly affect the functioning of protected and naturally valuable areas, and the amount of water withdrawn is keptwell below the permissible amounts, which is confirmed by analyses of the impact of water withdrawal on the environment.
As required by its permits, the Company continuously monitors the impact on water resources in connection with water withdrawals and wastewater discharges – both in terms of quantity and quality. The LOTOS Group regularly reports to the authorities on its water usage. The Company also makes sure that as much as possible of the water used in production processes is reused. This ensures that the amount of water ultimately withdrawn from the environment is reduced.
LOTOS Group companies do not operate in areas at risk of water shortages (according to WWF Water Risk Filter).
The LOTOS Group refinery has its own waste water treatment plant, which receives wastewater from both the plant itself and from smaller companies operating in the area. In addition to the wastewater generated in production processes (the so-called process wastewater), the plant treats drainage water, clean rainwater (from roads and yards) and oily wastewater (from production areas), as well as sanitary wastewater.
After treatment water and wastewater are discharged through one of two discharges. Clean drainage and rainwater is discharged into the canal of the Rozwójka river flowing along the southern boundary of the plant. The remaining streams, i.e. process wastewater, oily wastewater and sanitary wastewater, after treatment, are discharged to the Martwa Wisła river running along the northern border of the plant.
The LOTOS Group monitors its impact on the condition of water purity by continuously controlling both the volume of water abstraction and checking the environmental parameters in the affected areas. Each project is conducted on the basis on a dialogue with the stakeholders, and no report or complaint remains unaddressed. Suppliers and contractors signing contracts with LOTOS Group companies undertake to act responsibly, lawfully and with respect for the environment. They are regularly audited from this perspective.
Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS)
In 2020, the LOTOS Group formally completed a major expansion project of its Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS). The system helps analyze the work of the refinery in processing different grades of crude oil. This allows the Group to see how different production regimes affect environmental emissions. Grupa LOTOS upgrades its infrastructure and enables remote work, thanks to which the Company’s employees are able to monitor the refinery's operations with pinpoint accuracy.Thanks to CEMS, employees have real-time access to information about the quality of wastewater flowing into the Martwa Wisła river. The condition of liquids is monitored for chemical oxygen demand (an indicator of water and wastewater pollution) and contents of total nitrogen, petroleum hydrocarbons, and total suspended solids.
Water withdrawal and use by source and type in 2021
| Water withdrawal by source and type | From all areas (in megalitres) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| Surface waters: | 5,220 | 5,648 |
| Low-mineralized water (total mineral content below 1000 mg/l) | 5,220 | 5,648 |
| Other water (total minerals above 1000 mg/l) | 0 | 0 |
| Groundwater: | 329 | 333 |
| Low-mineralized water (total mineral content below 1000 mg/l) | 329 | 333 |
| Other water (total minerals above 1000 mg/l) | 0 | 0 |
| Seawater: | 393 | 725 |
| Low-mineralized water (total mineral content below 1000 mg/l) | 0 | 0 |
| Other water (total minerals above 1000 mg/l) | 393 | 725 |
| Water produced: | 414 | 234 |
| Low-mineralized water (total mineral content below 1000 mg/l) | 0 | 0 |
| Other water (total minerals above 1000 mg/l) | 414 | 234 |
| Water from another organization: | 299 | 384 |
| Low-mineralized water (total mineral content below 1000 mg/l) | 299 | 384 |
| Other water (total minerals above 1000 mg/l) | 0 | 0 |
| Total water withdrawal from another organization | 299 | 25 |
| Total water withdrawal (surface water, groundwater, seawater, produced water, water from another organization) | 6,654 | 7,324 |
Source: LOTOS Asfalt Sp. z o.o.
