Afton Chemical announced last week it broke ground for a new additive manufacturing facility on Jurong Island, Singapore. The first operational unit will produce engine oil detergents for commercial use in 2016. Construction and startup of additional units to produce dispersants and anti-wear components will follow with full operation expected within the next five years

Phillips 66 has agreed to acquire Spectrum Corporation, a specialty lubricants company headquartered near Memphis, Tennessee. Spectrum is an independent blender, packager and marketer of specialty lubricants including two-cycle engine oil, small engine oil and hydraulic oil. Spectrum offers a broad array of private-label and brand-name specialty lubricants.

FUCHS PETROLUB has acquired the lubricants business of the Batoyle Freedom Group in UK and will integrate it into their subsidiary FUCHS LUBRICANTS (UK). Founded in 1875, the Batoyle Freedom group manufactures specialty lubricants for the automotive, glass, industrial, textile and tube & wire industries.

Velocys plc, a UK-based technology innovator for smaller scale gas-to-liquids plants, last week announced the acquisition of Pinto Energy LLC and the Ashtabula, Ohio GTL project. Pinto Energy, a project developer of smaller scale GTL in North America, is developing an approximately 2,800 bpd plant in Ashtabula, whose capacity can be expanded to 10,000 bpd.

After several months in limbo, primarily awaiting clearance from the French government, along with a competitive joint bid from Siemens-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, General Electric has just cleared the way to buy the Power and Grid businesses of French equipment maker Alstom. The Alstom Board of Directors has unanimously recommended GE’s offer.

Naztech Petroleum Investment Group, with an Investment of more than USD 10 million, last Tuesday began production at Ethiopia’s first ever lube oil blending plant, in the town of Galan in the Oromia Region. The plant will produce passenger car motor oils, diesel engine oils, two stroke motor oil, automotive specialty, gear lubricants, industrial lubricants, greases and marine lubricants.

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• Harley-Davidson Rolls Out First Electric Motorcycle