The new unit started trial production in January, according to the Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Zone, developer of the Nangang Industrial Zone where the plant is located. The development authority said the new unit also makes coolants, though it did not specify what type.

The new unit is the first phase of a two-phase project that will entail investments totaling ¥737 million (U.S. $101 million). The plant now has capacity to make 30,000 metric tons per year of marine oils and 40,000 t/y of coolants.

The project will eventually add capacity to make 31 tons per year of fluorinated oils, which are used in specialty applications such as applications with operating temperatures as high as 350 degrees C where formation of deposits cannot be tolerated. Storage tanks with space for 29,000 kiloliters of base oils are also being installed. The development authority did not provide a timeline for the overall project.

In addition to the new products, the overall project is designed to make the Tianjin plant a production, storage and transportation base for Sinopec Lubricants. The company is one of the world’s largest lubricant suppliers and has 12 lubricant and grease factories, including Tianjin. Eleven are located in China and one in Singapore.