Chevron Phillips Chemical has finished expanding its low-viscosity polyalphaolefins production facility in Belgium, doubling annual capacity and making it the largest decene-based low-viscosity PAO plant in Europe by volume, the company said on its website.
The expansion strengthens CPC’s Phillips Chemical’s global PAO supply network. The company said the additional capacity will help meet rising demand from global customers.
The Beringen site has been producing PAOs for more than three decades and has easy access to major feedstock sources and established logistics infrastructure.
Upgrades at the facility include the integration of advanced electrification technology, designed to reduce dependence on natural gas and lower overall greenhouse gas emissions. CPC is also assessing the potential to use renewable electricity at the site as part of its long-term energy transition initiatives. The company said these steps are intended to improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of production.
Low-viscosity PAOs are synthetic base fluids used in a range of lubricants, including automotive engine oils, industrial lubricants and greases. They are also increasingly incorporated into newer applications such as lubricants for electric vehicle drivetrains, fluids for wind turbine gearboxes and immersion cooling systems for data centers.