German lubricant producer Rowe Mineraloelwerk GmbH is building a second blending plant to accommodate the growth of its business. The facility – scheduled to open next year in Worms, Germany – will have capacity to make 120,000 metric tons per year.
Production at our plant in Bubenheim is approaching capacity, so we needed to expand, Marketing Assistant Rainer Sauer told Lube Report last week. Plus, having two plants will allow us to separate lubricants production from other fluids such as antifreeze.
Rowe, which is based in Bubenheim, Germany, makes lubricants that it markets under its own Hightec brand and also contract blends and packages for other companies. It describes itself as one of the fastest growing independent oil blenders in Europe.
Capacity at the Bubenheim plant is 60,000 t/y. The company announced plans to build in nearby Worms two years ago, but the 40 million (U.S. $53.3 million) project was slowed by work to confirm there were no archaeological remains of historical significance on the site. Sauer said the Worms site has a number of advantages.
In Bubenheim we dont have a railway connection, we dont even have a highway connection, he said. In Worms, we will have not only both of these but also river access. Plus, the site is large enough to allow for further expansion in the future.