Singapore Lube Park Pte Ltd last Tuesday announced that they will build and operate a Lube Park in Tuas, situated in the southwestern part of Singapore. Singapore Lube Park Pte Ltd is a joint venture between Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte Ltd (Shell), Sinopec Lubricant (Singapore) Pte Ltd (Sinopec) and Total Oil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (TOTAL).
The Lube Park concept will be the first of its kind in the Lubricants industry. It will cover operations of shared facilities, including an import and export jetty, common pipelines, infrastructure and exclusive storage facilities to service the partners’ respective new Lube Oil Blending Plants (LOBP) and Grease Manufacturing Plants (GMP), which will be located on separate sites adjacent to the Lube Park.
The cost of the project was not disclosed, but the investment is estimated to be at least several hundred million dollars. The Lube Park is the successful outcome of extensive joint studies conducted by the three partners. Construction is planned to commence later in the year and is targeted for completion by 2015.
Earlier this month, Sinopec announced it opened its new lubricant plant in Tuas, which will be part of this new shared Singapore Lube Park. For additional information, visit the story "Sinopec Opens New Singapore Lubricant Plant" appearing in the July 15, 2013 edition of the OEM/Lube News.
“We are very pleased to be part of this project. The new Lube Park is a great example of collaboration among companies and the Singapore government to find innovative solutions to optimise the use of resources in Singapore. Our Singapore operations are a vital part of our global lubricants business, as it supplies lubricants and greases to more than 30 countries in the Asia pacific region. These new facilities, when operational, will ensure we remain competitive but more importantly, allow us to enhance our offering to our customers,” said Dennis Cheong, Shell’s Vice President¸ Lubricants Supply Chain.
"Through the unique and innovative model, three multinational oil and gas companies have achieved a win-win situation, which will benefit our lubricant businesses respectively and offer all a prosperous future. Based on the successful co-operation, we will continue to explore the possibility of enhancing this win-win relationship," said Jiang Yunde, Vice President, Sinopec Lubricant Company.
“Besides substantial cost benefits from the economies of scale, this equal collaboration will allow us to exchange technical expertise and standards across the three global organisations with diverse culture and strengths,” added Tan Pai Kok, Total’s Vice President, Lubricants.
Singapore has long been a strategic lubricants hub for both Shell and Total, supplying products to customers and markets in the Asia-Pacific region. When completed, Shell’s new LOBP and GMP in Tuas will replace its Woodlands plant. Total will construct a new LOBP in Tuas to replace two existing plants in Jurong Pandan and in Pioneer, and, as mentioned above, Sinopec’s new LOBP and GMP have already started operations. This plant will play a significant role for its business expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.
The three companies have been working closely with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and JTC Corporation (JTC) on this project.
“Lubricants are high value products that further diversify the refined products manufactured here. This joint initiative by Shell, Total and Sinopec illustrates how Singapore’s business environment allows industry leaders to come together and develop new business models. We welcome more of such innovative industry solutions being explored here, as companies look to optimise resources to improve their overall business efficiency,” commented Eugene Leong, Director of Energy and Chemicals, Economic Development Board.
Looi Nai Tze has been appointed as General Manager for the Singapore Lube Park Pte Ltd.
