MOL (Budapest, Hungary; www.mol.hu) has started production of hand and surface sanitizers to offer protection against the coronavirus. Both products have been in short supply in Hungary. Lubricants producer and MOL Group member MOL Lub Ltd. has shifted production of a windshield washer production line at its Almásfüzitő plant in only one week. The unit is operating 24/7, in three shifts, producing a daily volume of around 50,000 liters – allowing MOL to contribute to the global fight against COVID-19.
The formulas for the two new products have been created on the basis of WHO recommendations, and have been tested and approved by the National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition in record time in light of the COVID-19 situation. The ethanol for producing the hand sanitizer has been sourced from Hungary. These new hygienic products are thus being sourced from, and manufactured by, Hungarian firms.
MOL Lub has already shipped the first manufactured volumes to state institutions playing a key role in the fight against coronavirus (e.g., hospitals, waste management companies, public utilities) as directed by the Operative Group set up by the Hungarian government. Production and shipping will be continuous. MOL is also using these new products to protect its own colleagues working at its refineries, plants and service stations against the coronavirus so that an adequate number of our staff will always be available to ensure the security of energy supply in Hungary. MOL Lub is also working to make these products available at its retail outlets to all Hungarians to help ease current shortages.
MOL Hygi is available in 2-liter recyclable plastic bottles for the time being but will also come in smaller sizes as of next month.
MOL Group is also starting production of the sanitizers in Slovakia and Croatia. INA, the Croatian member of the Group, will be producing 50,000 liters of sanitizer for now. In Slovakia, production of the sanitizer was launched at VURUP, also a member of MOL Group.
“Sanitizers, which are one of the key tools of protection against the coronavirus, are in short supply all over the world. In light of the worsening pandemic situation we have, in coordination with the Hungarian government, decided to put a production line at one of our plants in the service of offering protection against the virus. Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary solutions. We have made the switch at the plant, obtained the necessary approvals and optimized production processes in only two weeks, a record time. We truly hope that the hand sanitizer manufactured at the Almásfüzitő plant will be a meaningful contribution to the fight against the virus. I would like to thank my colleagues at MOL Lub for their exceptional efforts. This is another example of the dedication of MOL colleagues to the security and energy supply of Hungary. As long as MOL operates, Hungary also operates. We have a responsibility to ensure the continuity of energy production, refining, shipping and trading at all costs – even in the most difficult of times and often by making sacrifices. But these sacrifices will always be made by MOL” said Chairman-CEO Zsolt Hernádi.
The Lub division of MOL Group started its operation in 1907 and today it is one of the most significant lubricant production companies in the region. The Lubricant business unit has 500 employees, operates two lubricant production plants, 2 laboratories, 12 sales offices and 10 logistics centers. The company is market leader in Hungary, Croatia, and Slovakia in the lubricant market. The products are sold in 50 countries worldwide. More than 100 industrial and 200 automotive industrial approvals, regulations and strict quality management systems guarantee the quality of its product. MOL Lub is a member of MOL Group. MOL Group is an integrated, international oil and gas company, headquartered in Budapest, Hungary.