INEOS starts up LV PAO plant

This facility is the world’s largest single PAO train and complements existing units in La Porte, Texas, and Feluy, Belgium.

It positions INEOS Oligomers as the world’s largest merchant supplier of LV PAO. Facilities operated across three distinct locations, provide stronger security of sup-ply to the global lubricants industry.

The new Chocolate Bayou LV PAO unit is fully integrated into INEOS’ production of Linear Alpha Olefin (LAO), the raw material used for PAO. Its feedstocks are also supplied from the adjacent LAO plant that started up in 2020 and from its Joffre, Canada LAO unit.

Peter Steylaerts, Business Director INEOS Oligomers, said: “Our new LV PAO unit comes at the right time to fulfil increasing needs from the lubricant industry for low viscosity low volatility engine oils, electrical transmission fluids and heat transfer fluids for data servers and electrical batteries. It also brings state of the art technology allowing a step change in efficiency of production.”

LV PAOs are used in various lubricants such as engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, hydraulic fluids and greases. They offer excellent thermal and oxidative sta-bility, better flow properties and better energy efficiency leading to reduced fuel consumption, reduced emissions, less frequent oil changes and improved reliability of machineries. They are also used in other applications such as processing aids, polymer modification and cosmetics.

Peter Steylaerts, Business Director INEOS Oligomers, said: “To date, the business has been a great success story for us, given the strong demand for wind turbines and other industrial applications. Customers like the options our products give them in the development of advanced new lubricant formulations.”

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/28062022/ineos-starts-up-lv-pao-plant/