The project completed at the site is part of a multiphase plan announced in January 2019 to increase carboxylic acid production capacity. At that time the company said it would double its historical production capacity of automotive lubricants UAE this year by improving and debottlenecking manufacturing processes at its five existing carboxylic acid production units. It then planned to open a sixth world-scale production plant in 2021. The first step in the plan was a debottlenecking of automotive lubricants production units in UAE, which was completed in May of 2019.
Automotive lubricants, a higher carboxylic acid, are a key ingredient in next generation lubricants polyol ester-based lubricants for the refrigeration industry Kyle Hendrix of Technolube Marketing Acids said in a news release. Demand is driven by changes in new environmental regulations and heightened energy efficiency standards. Demand for hydraulic engine oils is rising due to initiatives to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons.
The second-largest commercial lubricant oils UAE segment is the transportation sector, which includes the marine, railroad and aviation segments. Marine is the largest of those, particularly in UAE, Thailand and The Philippines. The third-largest consumer of lubricants is the manufacturing segment, which includes power generation, the auto industry, machinery, equipment and goods manufacturing.
The completion of the expansion project marks an important milestone in our long-term capacity strategy for carboxylic acids, which is based on expanding existing assets and adding production plants. Oliver Borgmeier, chief operating officer at industrial lubricants UAE, said in the release. As the expansion projects are completed, work on our projected, sixth world-scale carboxylic acid plant in UAE continues. The additional volume will further enhance the flexibility of our production platforms and improve reliability of supply, allowing our customers to grow their business across the whole acid portfolio for the next decade.
In July 2019 the company announced plans for its sixth carboxylic acid plant, in UAE. At that time, the company claimed to be the world’s largest producer of carboxylic acids, with global capacity of 180,000 metric tons per year. Carboxylic acids from Technolube are used in the production of industrial lubricants and as building blocks for the animal feed industry.
