BRB Lube Oil Additives & Chemicals is advancing low-carbon, circular lubricant solutions through innovations like RRBO-based technologies and its Viscotech® Upcycled range. In a discussion with ChemAnalyst, Roger Dohmen outlined how BRB leverages PETRONAS’ global strengths to drive sustainable, high-performance additive development.
BRB Lube Oil Additives & Chemicals, a global specialist in high-performance non-homologated additives, delivers a comprehensive portfolio of viscosity modifiers, driveline and engine oil packages, as well as specialty solutions such as sulphonates and fuel additives for automotive, off-road, and industrial applications. As a subsidiary of PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad, BRB benefits from a strong global footprint and access to advanced innovation resources, enabling the development of tailored additive technologies under its flagship brands Petrolad® and Viscotech®. ChemAnalyst spoke with Mr. Roger Dohmen, Head of BRB Lube oil additives and Chemicals, Specialty Chemicals (a PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad company), about the company’s strategic push toward circularity and low-carbon innovation in the lubricant industry. Mr. Dohmen highlighted BRB’s pioneering work with re-refined base oils (RRBO), the launch of the Viscotech® Upcycled range, and how the company is partnering across the value chain to accelerate sustainable, performance-driven solutions for next-generation lubricant formulations.
Complete Interview with Mr. Roger Dohmen
Q: Please provide an overview of your professional journey and leadership experience in the lubricant additives, specialty chemicals, and sustainability sectors. How have these experiences shaped your strategic vision at BRB in advancing innovation and circular solutions in the global lubricant industry?
Roger Dohmen: Roger brings over 25 years of experience in the transportation lubricant industry, with a distinguished career defined by innovation, leadership, and global business development. Since joining BRB International in 2001, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the company from a lubricant trading firm into one of the world’s leading independent manufacturers and suppliers of lube oil additives.
Roger began his professional journey as a chemist at Unilever, where he worked for eight years before transitioning to BRB. At BRB, he assumed a global leadership role, overseeing international operations and driving strategic growth in the lube oil additives and specialty chemicals sectors.
Under his leadership, BRB has evolved into a globally recognized name for high-quality, non-homologated additives, including viscosity modifiers, driveline, and engine oil additives. His oversight extends across the full spectrum of production and management for lube oil additives and specialty chemicals, driving consistent quality and continuous innovation.
He currently serves as a board member of the Dutch Lubricant Association.
Q: What inspired BRB to develop Viscotech® Upcycled using re-refined base oils (RRBO), and what specific technical or market gap was the company aiming to address with this breakthrough product?
Roger Dohmen: BRB’s interest in RRBO has been growing recently alongside the mega-trends of reducing carbon footprints, protecting the environment and transitioning to a circular economy and production model. Viscotech® upcycled is the first low-carbon viscosity modifier solutions, dissolved in re-refined base oils, instead of virgin base oils. There are some products already available in the market for re-refine base oils, but with poor quality, and not stable. Viscosity modifiers based on recycled base oils are ready for re-introduction into the value chain, as high-value products currently used in automotive, industrial, and marine lubricants. Our differentiator is our contribution to low-carbon footprint for the overall lubricants.
Q: RRBO-based viscosity modifiers are positioned as “drop-in” alternatives to conventional products. How did BRB validate performance and reliability to overcome industry skepticism, and what kind of testing or field validation supported this transition?
Roger Dohmen: Due to cost and availability, BRB Lube oil Additives & Chemicals started with re-refined base oils years ago, which were not stable back then. Over the years, the company has made continuous efforts and succeeded in specialty formulations with high-quality RRBO in our premium products, thus shifting from necessity to strategic sustainability.
We conduct and publish real-world performance data of RRBO-based viscosity modifiers to build confidence, and further promote technical validation and field testing.
Lastly BRB LAC will work with our customers to co-develop RRBO-compatible formulations and help them meet carbon footprint (PCF) reduction goals. The company is willing to provide guidance on RRBO interchangeability and circularity claims.
Q: How have customers across automotive, industrial, and energy sectors responded to the introduction of lubricants and additives derived from recycled base oils? Have you encountered any early adoption challenges or success stories worth highlighting?
Roger Dohmen: Due to the high quality re-refine availability, BRB first launched the new products in Europe earlier this year, followed by Asia.
At the moment there are systematic barriers and challenges in the Asian market, but we’ve also seen some opportunities coming along.
Many Asian countries lack adequate infrastructure for collecting used oils, which is essential for producing RRBOs. Countries like Japan, Thailand, and South Korea have few or no re-refineries, thus limiting RRBOs’ availability.
Secondly, RRBOs in Asia have been mostly Group I base oils historically, which are less desirable for modern formulations. The variability in feedstock and re-refining processes has led to inconsistent product quality, making OEMs hesitant to approve RRBO-based lubricants.
Unlike Europe or the U.S., many Asian governments have not yet implemented strong mandates or incentives for RRBO usage. But India is a notable exception, introducing a phased mandate requiring lubricants to contain increasing RRBO content — from 5% in 2024 to 50% by 2029.
And more importantly, OEMs and end-users in Asia often perceive RRBOs as inferior to virgin base oils, despite improvements in quality and performance. Lack of education and awareness about RRBO’s environmental benefits and technical viability contributes to slow adoption.
Q: Beyond the 60% reduction in carbon footprint, what additional benefits—such as extended service life, oxidative stability, or fuel economy—have been observed from using RRBO-based viscosity modifiers in formulations?
Roger Dohmen: They are drop-in alternatives for Viscotech®, with the only difference that they are based on re-refined base oils. Once seen as a compromise, re-refined base oils now play a central role in carbon reduction in the lubricant industry, thereby contributing to circularity directly:
• BRB integrates RRBOs into selected formulations, including the Viscotech® Upcycled line
• Viscotech based on RRBOs can reduce CO2 emissions by around 60% compared to Viscocity modiers based on virgin base oils for the whole life cycle
• RRBOs now meet Group I/II standards and are compatible with high-performance additive packages
• BRB products can help reduce around 0.1 kg of CO2 emission per kg final oil formulation. OEMs and industrial customers are increasingly seeking RRBO-based lubricants to meet their Scope 3 targets
RRBOs are no longer niche but a strategic lever for sustainable growth. Take the example of Viscotech®6540LR 1300 cSts and it has demonstrated the following benefits:
• Future-proof solution aiding environmentally-conscious blenders through partial circular economy.
• Equivalent performance contribution to its virgin BO-dissolved liquid OCP counterpart.
• Suitable for mid-/top-tier engine oils, including ones targeting 5W-30 (API SP) and 10W-40 (API Cl-4) levels.
• Outstanding high-temperature, high-shear(HTHS)results in tight-and heavy-duty vehicle applications.
• Excellent low-temperature properties, also exhibited in formulations with high-paraffin base oils.
• Competitive treat rate owing to the polymer's well-balanced thickening efficiency (TE) and SSl.
For more information, please request Viscotech®6540LR 1300 cSts Technical Report.
Q: How are RRBO-based viscosity modifiers and lubricant additives being integrated across the global lubricant and specialty chemicals value chain—from re-refiners and blenders to OEMs and downstream partners?
Roger Dohmen: BRB integrates RRBOs into selected formulations, including the Viscotech Upcycled line. Viscosity modifiers based on recycled base oils are ready for introduction into the value chain, as high-value products currently used in automotive and industrial lubricants.
Q: What are the current global trends in supply and demand for re-refined base oils compared to Group I, II, and III virgin base oils, and how do you see these dynamics evolving over the next three to five years?
Roger Dohmen: RRBOs are gaining traction because the industry can have more resource efficiency and reduce its dependence on virgin crude. They can help manufacturers save cost and optimize their margin, while aligning with with ESG and regulatory frameworks. It is also a brand differentiation for manufactures to market and end-users to choose eco-conscious lubricants.
Therefore, BRB LAC views RRBOs as essential to future-proofing, sustainable lubricant portfolio, enabling low-carbon innovation.
Q: From a production and scaling perspective, what are BRB’s expansion plans for RRBO-based additives, and what key factors—such as feedstock availability or refining capacity—will shape future growth?
Roger Dohmen: Due to the high quality re-refine availability, BRB first launched the new products in Europe earlier this year, followed by Asia. Infrastructure and feedstock are the key factors, while more education and awareness efforts are to be improved in this market about RRBO’s environmental benefits and technical viability, for further expansion.
Q: On the technology front, how are PETRONAS Chemicals Group and BRB collaborating to advance bio-based or renewable base oil technologies? Could you share insights into ongoing initiatives such as re-refining partnerships or innovations in hydro isomerization and hydrocracking processes that enhance base oil purity and performance?
Roger Dohmen: As a subsidiary of Malaysia’s PETRONAS Chemicals Group (PCG), BRB Lube oil Additives & Chemicals is now the Specialty Division of PCG, thereby we can draw on vast innovation resources in Asia and globally from PCG, but we stay focused on the individual needs of our customers. BRB is fully aligned with the parent company’s ambitious sustainability vision -- to systematically reduce its CO2 footprint and achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. With the new Viscotech® upcycled, BRB is building on a sustainable specialty portfolio focusing on innovation and carbon reduction for PCG.
Q: Strategically, beyond sustainability, what commercial and operational advantages do RRBO-based viscosity modifiers offer manufacturers and end users? How does BRB leverage its global reach and PETRONAS’s innovation resources to maintain a competitive edge in high-performance lubricant additives?
Roger Dohmen: BRB products can help reduce around 0.1 kg of CO2 emission per kg final oil formulation. OEMs and industrial customers are increasingly seeking RRBO-based lubricants to meet their Scope 3 targets and sustainable commitment.
Our innovation strategy focuses on anticipating the needs and wishes of the customers and industries we serve – and developing cutting-edge technologies to meet them. As a provider of non-homologated products, we can operate faster, more cost-efficiently and in a more targeted manner than our competitors. This is one reason why we can deliver when others can’t. We’re specialized, but serve a wide array of industries.
A further key component of BRB’s product development strategy is co-innovation. We regularly partner with customers in R&D processes to create targeted responses to technology- and/or market-specific demands. We consistently build solid, long-term relationships with our partners and customers. As a subsidiary of the PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad, BRB now has even greater global presence and innovation resources.
Q: Viscotech® Upcycled reduces the carbon footprint by 60% using re-refined base oils. How do you envision this innovation transforming the environmental impact of the lubricant industry globally and influencing future sustainability standards across the sector?
Mr. Roger Dohmen: We are very excited to share with the market the new Viscotech® upcycled. By combining high quality RRBO with our Viscotech® viscosity modifiers, we deliver innovative formulations that meet stringent standards and exhibit performance parity with virgin oils. For us, RRBOs are no longer a compromise, but a strategic enabler for the sustainable pursuit of both BRB and the lubricant industry.
We’d like to invite our customers to explore our sustainable product offerings and more business partners to collaborate with BRB and jointly walk the talk of circular economy.
ChemAnalyst Insights on Base Oil
In the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia recorded a notable quarter-over-quarter increase in its Base Oil Price Index, supported by stronger export demand. Market dynamics across the region reflected narrowing spot price differentials, influenced by more competitive Chinese exports and reduced freight pressure. Although production costs eased slightly due to lower crude values and refinery turnarounds, the overall demand outlook remained subdued, impacted by the monsoon season and continued weakness in automotive sales. Despite muted export enquiries, intermittent orders from Southeast Asian buyers provided occasional support for prompt cargoes. Balanced inventories and steady overseas interest helped maintain overall market stability, even as some Chinese facilities operated at selectively reduced rates in response to shifting market conditions. Looking ahead, forecasts indicate modest, range-bound movement in the near term, shaped by evolving production trends and cautiously improving regional trade sentiment.
