Market

The HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group produces and delivers high-quality petroleum products, petrochemicals and lubricants for various uses. We constantly strive to meet the requirements of our customers, by creating relations based on mutual trust and seeking customer satisfaction, from the product’s entry into the market to the end of its life cycle.

2020 was marked by an unprecedented international health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. For EKO S.A. and HELPE Group subsidiaries abroad, protecting the health of its employees, partners and customers was set as a top priority. The instructions of the competent authorities were strictly followed, together with the additional protective measures stipulated in the HELPE Group’s Policy “FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF ISSUES ARISING FROM THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC”, at all our facilities and in the network of Company Owned Manager Operated fuel stations. The Policy is regularly updated based on the progress of the pandemic. Appropriate communication materials have been created for customers at the fuel stations to inform them of the protection measures in place.

In order to increase the trust of the public in EKO SA, our facilities were certified according to the Private Certification Scheme “CoVid Shield”, at the highest level “Excellent”.

All the above efforts resulted in the smooth operation of our facilities and fuel stations, for the seamless supply of fuels to our customers.

A certified Management System for Quality, Occupational Health & Safety and the Environment is implemented in all of the Group’s facilities with the aim of understanding all stakeholders’ needs and expectations, as well as achieving continuous improvement.

The Group has incorporated the concept of Responsible Product Management into its Management Systems – an approach to managing the impact of products throughout their life cycle – in order to achieve the sustainability goals that it has set, as well as those of its suppliers, distributors and customers.

Respecting the fundamental principle of the European REACH Regulation on the effective management of risks posed by chemical substances, the Group has aligned its activities with the provisions of the Regulation:

• We cooperate with other industrial partners in the REACH Consortia and the international organizations in which we participate in order to successfully complete all the Regulation’s phases (registration, evaluation, authorization), with full implementation of the European rules on competition.
• We revise our registration dossiers for those substances for which changes to chemical safety reports or/and hazard classification arise on the basis of new toxicological and eco-toxicological data, or whenever required through decisions by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
• Our products’ Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) have been updated in full accordance with the REACH and CLP Regulations. For our products’ safe use we apply the recommended risk management measures included in the human and environment exposure scenarios of the e-SDSs annexes and we encourage downstream users to implement the corresponding proposed measures for their own uses.
• When designing lubricants, we implement all REACH and CLP Regulations requirements for their classification, labelling, packaging and safe use.

The best available operations practices for the safe management of products, with respect for the environment, are applied at the Group’s facilities. This also entails the implementation of strict waste management procedures at all operation stages, including storage, treatment, recycling, recovery and disposal of waste at the end of the products’ life cycle.

All products of HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group refineries (liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline,diesel, kerosene, fuel oil, bitumen) meet the specifications set by National and European Legislation. According to the Group’s Quality Policy:

• Detailed and continuous laboratory inspections take place at all stages of production, from receipt of raw material (crude oil) to the products’ final storage in the refinery tanks, at the chemical laboratories of the Group’s Industrial Facilities, certified in accordance with ISO 17025. The Group’s Industrial Facilities are certified according to ISO 9001: 2015.
• At EKO’s fuel storage and distribution facilities, quality controls are constant, at all stages of operation, from receipt of fuel from the refinery to final delivery to the customer. Chemical analyses take place at each facility’s chemical laboratory. All EKO fuel storage and distribution facilities are certified for Quality Management in accordance with ISO 9001:2015. The scope of the Quality Management System includes receipt, storage, quality control of fuel, transport and delivery to customers (fuel stations, industry, aviation, marine) of liquid fuels.
• The company owned manager operated CALYPSO fuel stations are also certified for Quality Management, according to ISO 9001: 2015.

Therefore, at the Group, we ensure the quality of our fuels throughout the supply chain with constant quality checks at all stages.

According to consumer surveys, fuel quality is considered the most important selection criterion when it comes to refuelling. Τhe EKO GUARANTEE program is the first integrated fuel quality and quantity control program, which includes constant checks from the refinery to the customer’s fuel tank. This program also enables consumers to perform fuel quality checks on site via spot test kits available at the fuel station.

EKO S.A. continues its collaboration with the Fuels and Lubricants Technology Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) for its fuel stations’ fuel quality and quantity control. The fuel quality and quantity checks, carried out by EKO’s mobile laboratory units, are part of the EKO GUARANTEE program. Two mobile laboratory units, operated by NTUA personnel, conduct unexpected fuel quality and quantity checks at EKO’s fuel stations. Moreover, during every quality check, fuel samples are further tested at NTUA’s Fuels and Lubricants Technology Laboratory. Fuel quantity measurements are conducted using certified volumetric beakers. Following the quantity check, the station’s pumps are marked with the quality assurance seal.

For more information regarding the EKO GUARANTEE program: EKO.

For BP fuel stations, since 2011, an integrated fuels’ quality assurance system has been developed in collaboration with NTUA. Two mobile, privately owned, laboratory units manned by NTUA’s personnel and equipped with special equipment for on-site quantity and quality control of the fuels’ basic characteristics, visit BP fuel stations without prior announcement every year.

In 2020, EKO, in cooperation with NTUA, carried out a total of 5,977 on-site quality and  quantity fuel checks at EKO and BP fuel stations. A total of 3,995 fuel nozzle samples were analyzed for quality assurance.

Customer complaints regarding the quality of our products are forwarded to the responsible Group Quality Experts for investigation and response. All physicochemical analyses of products are conducted in accredited chemical laboratories. In 2020, 258 cases were reported and all of them were investigated. As part of the investigations, 1,819 fuel samples were analysed and 6,391 physiochemical analyses were conducted. The percentage of samples that did not meet the specifications was 4.4%. All necessary corrective actions were implemented immediately. In addition, 42 customer queries regarding the fuel quality of fuel stations were addressed.

Αt the HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group, we offer innovative, high-quality products with a competitive value/money ratio through an extensive network of fuel stations with full geographic coverage. Furthermore, we offer our products to commercial customers, industries and resellers. EKO S.A. operates eight fuel storage and distribution facilities throughout Greece, and two LPG storage, distribution and bottling facilities in the prefectures of Thessaloniki, Attiki and Rethymno (storage and handling).

Through its subsidiaries, the Group is active in the markets of Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. In parallel, exports are directed to all significant markets in SE Europe. The Group’s marketing company has a strong presence in the Greek market through the EKO and BP brands.

In Greece, the Group has a network of more than 1,700 fuel stations. The table above presents the “product mix”, in 2020, in the domestic and international markets where the Group’s subsidiaries are active.

The Group has a large and diverse list of suppliers, with over 12,000 active suppliers, for the purchase of materials, equipment or services. The list includes multinational companies but also local large, medium and small-sized enterprises. The Group’s suppliers are important business partners who contribute to the achievement of its business targets. They contribute to its competitiveness and Sustainable Development, affecting not only its financial performance but also its relations with all other stakeholders.

The main objective for the Group’s Procurement is to develop and maintain a broad and reliable supply chain, aiming to:

• optimally cover the Group’s supply needs
• promote healthy competition and equal opportunities
• cultivate synergies and long-term relationships with mutual benefit
• maintain absolute transparency and meritocracy
• implement a strict framework of procurement ethics
• create multiple supply options to ensure security of supply and minimization of business risks
• adopt and promote sustainable business practices in environmental, social and economic issues in order to maximize positive impact
• support local communities by selecting local suppliers, wherever possible, as this contributes to both local development and the realisation of the Group’s goals.

In order to achieve all the above and develop a network of collaborators that applies sustainable development practices at least equivalent to those of the Group, we follow a defined cooperation framework that includes a Code of Conduct, a Procurement Manual, policies and procedures promoting health and safety, commitment to environmental rules/ regulations and responsible work practices with respect for human rights, and a supplier evaluation procedure.

For all the above reasons, our partners are selected and evaluated both upon registration in our suppliers list and during our cooperation with them, based not only on business criteria but also on sustainable development criteria. Furthermore, all contracts with our suppliers incorporate a supplier “compliance clause” with the principles of the UN Global Compact (in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption).

Product advertising and promotion

All activities related to advertising and promotion of products fully comply with the code of conduct of the Hellenic Advertisers Association and the Hellenic Association of Advertising – Communication Agencies (also see indicator 417-3). All marketing executives participate in training programs and seminars in order to be informed about best practices and new regulations.