OREANDA-NEWS. March 07, 2012. As the spring season begins, ORLEN Lietuva replaces arctic fuels in its product slate with E class diesel. The transitional fuel does not freeze at temperature as low as up to minus 15 degrees Celsius. Sudden onset of extremely low temperatures in mid-January increased high-quality diesel sales in Lithuania by one sixth, reported the press-centre of ORLEN Lietuva.

ORLEN Lietuva has completed the A1(A2) class arctic diesel production season and has switched to the transitional fuel, E-Class diesel. Freezing temperatures in the second half of the recent winter increased the demand of high quality arctic diesel by one sixth on average in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. ORLEN Lietuva arctic fuel sales to the Ukrainian market during the whole winter season increased by 57 per cent.

“In severe weather conditions, drivers tend to take care of their vehicles, so they choose fuel that won’t freeze up even at extremely low temperature and will ensure vehicle’s smooth work in winter,” said Ireneusz Fafara, ORLEN Lietuva’s General Director.

In January-February, ORLEN Lietuva was the main arctic diesel supplier for Lithuania’s biggest fuel retailers, who wanted to offer the highest quality fuels to their customers.

According to Saulius Zilenas, Commercial Director of Ventus-Nafta, operator of ORLEN gas station network, sales of the special arctic diesel with additives VERVA D, that is sold in ORLEN gas stations, increased by almost 30 per cent during the coldest months. “Consumers chose VERVA D because of its special additives that help to start the car smoothly in any weather conditions,” said S. Zilenas.

Arctic diesel does not freeze up even at minus 32-34 degrees Celsius. Production of this type of fuels requires more complex technology and is more costly. During the first year, the Company produced 20-30 thousand tons of arctic diesel fuel a month. In the recent years, the ORLEN Lietuva has experienced stable increase in the volumes, which have reached 130-140 thousand tons per month this year.