MOL wants to pass Slovakian Slovak stations operating in Poland

The Hungarian fuel company MOL continues to grow rapidly on the Polish market, announcing a plan to merge its Polish subsidiaries MOL Polska and Slovakia. Richard Austen, president of MOL Polska, points out that the intent of this decision is to importantly strengthen the position of the company: “We want to be the number 2 or 3 on the Polish market. This cannot be achieved by buying one, 2 stations a month,” he says in an interview with “Business Puls”.

MOL expansion on the Polish market

MOL Group began intensive expansion in Poland in 2023, taking over Lotos Group fuel stations. By the end of 2023, the Hungarian company already owned 481 stations in the country, and now plans to further increase its presence. MOL Polska merger with Slovakia is expected to accelerate the consolidation process and let the company to compete more effectively with marketplace leaders specified as Orlen or BP.

Slovakia: Over 25 years on the Polish market

Slovnaphth, who has been present on the Polish marketplace for over a 4th of a century, was included in the MOL Group in 2000. So far, the company has focused on wholesale fuel sales while working with partner station networks to which it has supplied its products. Slovnaft presently manages 88 stations in Poland, and their integration with MOL Poland will strengthen the common operational potential.

Dynamic improvement of MOL

The MOL Group is 1 of the key players in the fuel marketplace in Central and South-East Europe. The company presently manages a network of nearly 2,400 fuel stations in 10 countries, and its operations are based on 3 refineries and 2 petrochemical plants within the integrated supply chain. At the end of 2023, MOL employed 25 000 employees worldwide, and 28.3% of the company's shares belong to the government in Budapest.

In Poland, MOL debuted in 1997, while since 2004 its shares have been listed on the Stock Exchange. However, the breakthrough was the acquisition of part of Lotos Group assets for EUR 610 million in 2023. As part of the transaction, Orlen bought 144 gas stations in Hungary and 41 stations in Slovakia from MOL.

Poland: Key fuel market

At the end of 2023, a full of 7915 fuel stations operated in Poland, of which 29% belonged to independent operators. The biggest player was Orlen, having a 25.6% marketplace share. MOL plans presume position number 2 or three, which requires crucial investments and effective consolidation efforts.

Future of MOL Poland

MOL Polska merger with Slovakia is simply a step towards the implementation of an ambitious strategy for the improvement of the Hungarian company. As experts point out, this process can importantly change the arrangement of forces on the Polish fuel marketplace while expanding competition between operators. The final results of these changes will depend on the effectiveness of the actions implemented and the marketplace response.

Thanks to its global experience and resources, the MOL Group has a solid basis to accomplish its goals and become 1 of the leaders of the fuel manufacture in Poland.