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In line with its strategy for 2017–2022, for nearly the last two years Grupa LOTOS S.A. has been consistently carrying out innovative research projects in partnership with experts from the Silicon Valley’s prestigious Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), one of the world's most respected research institutions in the energy sector. 

General

In line with its strategy for 2017–2022, for nearly the last two years Grupa LOTOS S.A. has been consistently carrying out innovative research projects in partnership with experts from the Silicon Valley’s prestigious Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), one of the world's most respected research institutions in the energy sector. The partnership prompted EPRI to open an office in Poland, its first one in the CEE region and second in Europe at large (after Dublin). The office, which allows EPRI to purse and develop new research initiatives across Poland and the region, is located on the premises of the LOTOS Group’s headquarters in Gdańsk, thus allowing the partners to enhance the efficiency of their joint activities.

Innovation is LOTOS’s way to tackle technological challenges, drive growth, and ensure high quality of its products and services. The Company’s investment in innovative projects, financed with both its own and external funds, has been regularly growing. The Group companies have been carrying out research initiatives in the following areas: energy efficiency of refining processes, manufacture and development of technologies related to alternative fuels, and energy storage, including hydrogen storage and use in road transport. LOTOS is also committed to the development of electromobility. It plans to deploy EV charging points at 50 service stations located along motorways and expressways. The first 12 chargers will be put into operation at service stations along the Warsaw-Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot route in the second half of 2018.

 The Company seeks to attract external partners for its projects in the aforementioned areas. LOTOS is a co-founder of the Hydrogen and Clean Energy Technologies Cluster, has commenced to carry out projects jointly with start-ups as part of the Space3AC accelerator programme, and supports the National Innovation League. It is also making efforts to establish and launch a corporate venture capital fund. It has been also adapting its corporate structure to new challenges, including through redefinition of LOTOS LAB’s strategy and objectives as well as expansion of its activities. For a few months now, this subsidiary has been not only the LOTOS Group’s R&D centre, but also a business unit leading its innovation delivery and commercialisation projects with the use of increased equity, as well as external sources of funding.

The primary objective of the partnership between LOTOS and EPRI, which has become one of the Group’s key advisers, is to support LOTOS’s R&D activities.

“Readiness to develop and implement innovative projects is one of the pillars of the LOTOS Group strategy for 2017–2022, aimed at giving the Company a competitive advantage. The partnership with EPRI, one of the world’s largest and most experienced energy research institutes, takes LOTOS one step closer to becoming Poland’s leader in delivering innovations,” says Marcin Jastrzębski, President of the Management Board of Grupa LOTOS S.A. “We are very glad to have established this partnership, which has been developing dynamically over the past year, providing us with necessary know-how, experience and contacts. It has also led to EPRI setting up an office in Gdańsk, which will greatly facilitate our running projects together, which at this stage require growing involvement from both partners. What is particularly important from our perspective is EPRI's access to state-of-the-art technologies and vast experience in implementing scientific and engineering solutions for international companies in the energy sector. EPRI is a professional partner which shares its know-how to support our projects,” adds Marcin Jastrzębski.

EPRI’s projects involve more than 1,000 members and partners worldwide. They mostly include energy companies, but also government agencies, regulatory authorities, and universities. EPRI specialises in developing innovative solutions for the energy sector. It conducts research into electromobility, energy generation and distribution, development and applications of smart grids, energy efficiency, cybersecurity, distributed energy resources, and environmental protection, among others. The Institute has patented over 900 solutions in these areas. Its partners include the US Department of Energy, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, and automakers, e.g. Tesla. Until recently, EPRI International’s branch in Dublin was its only representative office in Europe. The office opened in Poland, headed by Jakub Szemraj, is its second in Europe and the first one in the CEE region.

„As part of this cooperation with LOTOS, EPRI International has created an office in Poland that is collocated with our partner. – confirms Kevin East, vice president of EPRI International. “We are pleased to open and staff a regional office in Gdansk that will focus on industrial energy efficiency and power quality projects.”

“We are very excited about this collaboration with Lotos in Poland – concludes Mark McGranaghan, vice president of EPRI. – “We look forward to expanding this collaboration into a variety of energy research topics.”

EPRI continues to explore opportunities for research collaboration in Poland and the CEE through a close relationship with Group LOTOS. Through this relationship, EPRI and LOTOS are already evaluating new energy resource and flexibility research topics in addition to working with LOTOS on evaluation of energy efficiency opportunities in industrial facilities like the LOTOS refinery. 

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Electric Power Research Institute is an independent American research institute, based in Palo Alto, California, operating as a non-profit organization. Since its establishment in 1972, it has been cooperating with the energy sector and its stakeholders. EPRI specializes in developing innovative solutions for the energy market. The overall goal of the organization is to provide society with safe, reliable, cheap and environmentally-friendly electrical energy. It also supports research on new technologies. It brings together scientists and engineers as well as academic and industry experts. To stimulate development of research planning, EPRI also provides technological, statutory and economic analysis.

EPRI International is a subsidiary of EPRI that coordinates and supports international member participation in EPRI and provides technical expertise for research and power system analysis projects around the world.

LOTOS is a Polish corporation whose business is of strategic importance to the national and European energy security, as well as to Poland’s economy. It produces natural gas and crude oil in Poland, Norway and Lithuania. The company owns a refinery in Gdańsk, one of Europe’s most advanced oil refining plants, where crude is processed mainly into high quality fuels, including the LOTOS Dynamic premium brand. LOTOS also operates a chain of close to 500 service stations conveniently located at motorways and expressways, in all large cities and many other locations across the country. LOTOS has nearly a one-third share in the Polish fuel market. It is also Poland's second-largest rail freight forwarder. LOTOS is a leading manufacturer of road bitumens, engine oils and lubricants used in road vehicles, aeroplanes, trains, ships, and even military vehicles.

Strategy 2017-2022

Communications Office, Grupa LOTOS S.A., ul. Elbląska 135, 80-718 Gdańsk, Poland, tel. (+48) 58 308 87 31, (+48) 58 308 83 88, e-mail: media@grupalotos.pl 

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