On 26 March, we officially inaugurated Eastern Hungary’s most advanced and highest capacity battery energy storage system at MOL Petrochemicals. The 40 MWh facility, delivered through a HUF 6.6 billion investment, enables us to use electricity generated by our solar panels exactly when it is needed. In the video, we showcase the key moments of the inauguration event.
The new energy storage system not only contributes to reducing our own energy costs and carbon footprint, but also actively supports the stable operation of Hungary’s national electricity grid. In line with MAVIR’s requirements, it helps balance grid fluctuations, reduce network load, and make energy management more flexible. The system is capable of covering approximately one eighth of the MPK industrial site’s electricity demand for two hours—an important milestone considering that MOL Petrochemicals alone accounts for nearly 3% of Hungary’s total electricity consumption.
The video also presents the construction process and highlights the most important moments of the inauguration event, while our speakers briefly summarise what this development means for MOL Petrochemicals. (the video is available in Hungarian)
We would like to thank all our colleagues who contributed to the successful implementation of the project.
MOL Group Chemicals is strengthening its commitment to sustainable and cost-efficient production by building a new 48 MWp solar power plant in Tiszaújváros, one of the largest facilities in Hungary directly connected to an industrial consumer.
The solar park will cover around 5% of the site’s annual electricity demand on average—up to 30% during peak periods—and reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 17,000 tonnes per year. By generating its own green electricity, MOL improves energy independence, lowers operating costs, and supports partners’ sustainability objectives.
Built on a previously unused area, the electricity produced will be consumed directly by the manufacturing plants, minimizing energy losses. The project marks an important milestone in MOL Group Chemicals’ sustainability efforts while delivering long-term economic benefits for its partners.
MOL Group is building a new propylene plant in Tiszaújváros as a HUF 65 billion greenfield investment. The facility will produce 100,000 tonnes of propylene annually, covering around 25% of MOL’s chemical feedstock demand and strengthening the company’s self-sufficiency.
The development is an important milestone in MOL Group’s SHAPE TOMORROW 2030+ strategy and supports the company’s chemical transformation. The plant will also supply the polyol complex under construction, further reinforcing Tiszaújváros’ role as a key chemical hub in the region.
Construction creates jobs for several thousand people and provide 30–40 long-term, competitive workplaces. The Hungarian Government supports the investment with HUF 5 billion.
As a sustainably responsible company that always follows the newest market trends and is attune to customers’ requirements, MOL Group increased its role in the recycling of plastics in recent years. As a result, a strategic partnership with the German plastics recycling company, APK AG, was established in 2018.
APK AG was founded in 2008 and is located at Merseburg, Germany (near Leipzig). As a first step in the strategic cooperation between the two companies, MOL Group supported the mechanical completion of APK’s 8 kt Newcycling® plant in Merseburg. The plant serves as a pilot for an innovative recycling process, Newcycling®. Newcycling® technology is a solvent-based process that enables the selective separation of polymers in mixed plastic waste. The result is pure granulates that have virgin-like properties. Such waste streams cannot be recycled using conventional mechanical recycling technologies.
MOL Group and APK AG are collaborating strategically on plastics recycling. Both parties are investigating the possibility of building an advanced recycling plant based on Newcycling® technology together within MOL’s core region.
MOL takes full acquisition of the German recyclate-based compounding company and its value chain covering the disposal of plastics and the production of sustainable plastic compounds.
MOL Group completed the acquisition of Aurora Kunststoffe GmbH in 2019. With the successful closing of the deal, MOL Group strengthened its position as an automotive supplier and widened its portfolio to include recyclate-based, sustainable plastic compounds. The acquisition is part of MOL Group’s Enter Tomorrow 2030 strategy, which will see the transition from a traditional fuel-based downstream business model to a higher value-added petrochemical product portfolio.
Aurora, with its innovative products, perfectly complements MOL Group’s petrochemical portfolio and adds to its sustainability objectives. The company, which enjoys a unique and lean closed-loop business model, has production plants located at nearby automotive manufacturers as well as plastics conversion clusters in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Aurora collects industrial plastic waste, recycles it, and then upgrades the properties of the material into an enhanced plastic that suits the requirements of customers in the car manufacturing industry and other businesses with high-quality standards. MOL Group is committed to further grow this business model within Central and Eastern Europe. By combining MOL Group’s business experience and Aurora’s recycling know-how, MOL Group will continue to support the circular economy.
The joint development between Aurora and MOL Petrochemical Product Development has already reached some milestones in 2020. The first glass-fiber reinforced and talcum filled PP compounds were developed for automotive applications, upscaled at Aurora’s Neuenstein site and are commercially available now. Other new products are in the pipeline like the glass and talcum filled PP grades with PIR and PCR content. During 2021, recipe development will continue in close collaboration between Aurora, MOL Group, OEMs and automotive TIERs to further broaden the portfolio, adding also some more special and high-performance materials. At this stage all customer samples and initial commercial quantities will be produced using the flexible and state-of-the-art facilities at Aurora.
MOL Group is committed to further grow the compounding business based on MOL’s virgin PP grades and Aurora’s versatile recyclate-based portfolio.
For further information:
Web: www.aurora-kunststoffe.de
Contacts:
Thomas Raetzsch (t.raetzsch@aurora-kunststoffe.de)
Value chain
MOL's EUR 1.3 billion polyol complex in Tiszaújváros, boasting a capacity of around 200,000 tonnes of polyol per year, has been inaugurated. The ceremony, addressed by Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, MOL's Chairman-CEO, Zsolt Hernádi, and thyssenkrupp Board member Ilse Henne, marks a significant milestone for the company. MOL Group stands as the sole entity in Hungary and in Central and Eastern Europe to cover the entire value chain, from petroleum processing to polyol production (a widely used plastic raw material).
Polyol is one of the most sought-after plastics raw materials, used in a wide range of industries from car manufacturing to clothing and insulation. Polyurethane is made from polyol and is the base material for many of the durable consumer goods that everyone encounters in their everyday lives.
Polyurethane made from polyol is needed:
1. for the production of foam mattresses, bed mattresses, foam for comfortable seating on sofas and armchairs, and rigid foams for insulating refrigerators;
2. for the production of insulating materials used in the construction industry, whether for the insulation of the facade of a building or a pipeline;
3. for the production of sealants and adhesives familiar from DIY stores, and the elastic rubber soles of running shoes.
The project in figures
R&D CENTRE
MOL Goup’s György Mosonyi polyol research and development centre is located in Százhalombatta, Hungary. To ensure the successful operation of the Polyol complex, it is essential to develop products that meet the requirements of MOL Group’s future clients, test their quality and application performance and provide technical support to them. The experimental reactor system, which is the most modern in the world, will help support these activities. MOL Group has modern equipment to provide results that are in line with industry standards and a highly qualified technical support staff. Engineering colleagues specializing in various fields of application will work alongside our sales team with our existing portfolio. Their tasks include technical support for clients, preparation of experiments on-site for the clients, and monitoring and assessment to ensure that the company can meet the expectations of the clients at the highest possible
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