Chevron Phillips Chemical inaugurates polyalphaolefins expansion in Beringen, Belgium – Chemical Engineering

November 21, 2022 | By Mary Bailey

Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem; The Woodlands, TX) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion polyalphaolefin (PAO) unit at the Beringen plant in Belgium. The ceremony was attended by His Excellency US Ambassador Adler, Minister of Economy of Flanders Joe Brauns, Governor of Limburg Province Jos Lantmitters and Mayor of Beringen Thomas Wints. The expansion of PAO production capacity is a significant investment in the region and demonstrates CPChem’s commitment to support the growing demand for PAO products worldwide.

For more than 30 years, the Beringen facility has been producing PAOs, which are specially formulated chemicals used in many applications such as lubricants, greases and fluids.

“Our Beringen facility has a long history of safe and reliable PAO production and excellent customer service. The expansion of our production capacity allows us to benefit from strong local expertise, increase synergies with the existing division and use Belgium’s central position to meet the needs of customers worldwide,” said Antoine Jansens, general manager of CPChem EMEA.

Ideally located in the heart of Europe, the expansion will benefit from significant advantages in infrastructure, availability of raw materials and experience. The expansion project will create about 20 additional full-time jobs in the region, as well as hundreds of construction and indirect jobs.

Driven by the performance of these molecules, PAOs have become important components in many applications, including the automotive and industrial industries. PAOs are also used in a number of innovative applications such as electric and fuel-efficient vehicles, wind turbines and heat transfer fluid, driving demand for these products worldwide.

PAOs also support CPChem’s commitment to accelerate change for a sustainable future. PAOs help reduce energy consumption through effective lubrication; by reducing friction, they can reduce fuel consumption and emissions.