German lubricants maker Rowe Minerallwerk is building a new lubricant plant in Germany and looking to build another in Russia, the company told Lube Report on Tuesday.
A company delegation last week visited different regions in Russia, including Cherepovets, an industrial city in Vologda Oblast. The plant may be located in the citys industrial zone on a two-hectare land plot, Vologdas regional government said in its March 6 press release. The plot has a good location with excellent transportation infrastructure.
At the moment the company is still evaluating a location in Russia for the new lubricant plant. There has been no decision made yet. We will have to make further investigations before deciding where we are going to build the plant, said Rowes general manager Michael Zehe.
The plants annual capacity and cost to build are still unknown until the company concludes its investigations in Russia. Zehe says the plant will most likely produce automotive and industrial lubricants such as water miscible cutting fluids, neat cutting oils and corrosion preventives, and antifreeze coolants.
Last November, Rowe started building a new $52 million lubricant plant in Worms, Germany, located about 80 km south of Frankfurt. In its first phase, the plants capacity will be 120,000 tons per year. Production is scheduled to start in January 2014.
The company also owns a 60,000 t/y blending plant in Bubenheim, 90 km south of Frankfurt, which has 170 employees. It features an automatic filling line for one-tenth to 5-liter containers, and does semi-automatic filling for drums. The plant produces engine oils, transmission and hydraulic fluids, industrial lubricants, cutting oils and adhesion improvers, radiator and windshield washer anti-freeze fluids, and automotive care products.
Besides Germany, the companys Hightec branded products are marketed in Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America.