Chemtura has begun the commissioning activities of its new PAO plant in Ankerweg, Netherlands, as well as its new grease plant in Nantong, China and is expected to produce trial quantities later in the third quarter of this year. Commercial production of the PAO plant is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2014.

 

Like Chemtura's Elmira, Ontario, Canada plant, the Ankerweg plant, located near Amsterdam, will make conventional HVPAO (high-viscosity polyalphaolefin) in 40 and 100 cSt viscosity grades under the Synton brand name.

 

Chemtura announced in 2011, it had increased PAO capacity by 25 percent to meet demand in both North America and Europe. For details, please see the story Chemtura Building European Capacity for Synton® Synthetic Basestocks in the August 1, 2011 issue of the OEM/Lube News. Earlier in 2011, Chemtura announced expanded production capacity for the Synton^® 40 PAO and Synton^® 100 HVPAO grades at its Elmira, Ontario, Canada facility.

 

In Chemtura's Second Quarter 2013 Earnings Conference Call on July 31, 2013, Craig Rogerson, Chemtura's Chairman, President and CEO, stated "The outlook for our Industrial Performance Products segment continues to be positive with our expansion projects, this is our multipurpose plant in Nantong, China, and our high-viscosity polyalphaolefin plant, which is Europe's first such dedicated plant, both on track. Commissioning activities are starting at both plants in the third quarter and we expect to produce trial quantities in the quarter."

 

Rogerson went on to say "In Nantong, we'll be commissioning the first of our 3 units in 2013, the synthetic grease units. In Ankerweg, there's a necessary qualification with our customers such that commercial production of the PAO is only expected to begin in the first quarter of 2014. Our leaders are carefully managing these commission processes to limit fixed cost increases ahead of generating revenues."