Chevron Phillips Chemical doubles Beringen LV PAO capacity, boosting sustainability, efficiency, and market leadership in Europe’s growing specialty chemicals industry.
Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) has announced the successful completion of a significant expansion at its low-viscosity polyalphaolefins (LV PAO) production facility in Beringen, Belgium. This milestone effectively doubles the site’s LV PAO output, boosting annual capacity to 120,000 metric tons. With this increase, the Beringen facility now stands as the largest decene-based LV PAO plant in Europe by production volume.
Antoine Janssens, General Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, highlighted Beringen’s strong reputation for operational excellence and innovation in PAO manufacturing. He emphasized that the expansion not only strengthens this legacy but also enhances integration with CPChem’s existing European assets, further cementing the company’s global leadership in the specialty chemicals industry.
LV PAOs play a critical role in a wide range of applications. They are core components in advanced automotive and industrial lubricants and are increasingly vital for emerging technologies such as electric vehicle drivetrains, wind turbine gear systems, and immersion cooling for high-performance computing. As industries worldwide strive for more energy-efficient, sustainable, and high-performance materials, the global demand for LV PAOs has been on a steady rise.
Frank Derudder, EMEA PAO/NAO Manager at CPChem, underlined that this expansion is a strategic response to that growing demand. He noted that scaling up production allows the company to serve its customers more effectively while maintaining the high product quality that the market associates with CPChem’s PAOs.
The upgraded Beringen facility incorporates advanced electrification systems designed to reduce dependence on natural gas. This technological shift is expected to lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve the site’s overall energy efficiency over the long term. Additionally, CPChem is actively exploring the use of renewable electricity to further shrink the plant’s carbon footprint.
Beringen’s strategic location in the heart of Europe offers several operational advantages. It provides access to a highly skilled local workforce, well-established supply chain networks, and close proximity to both essential feedstocks and major European markets. These logistical strengths, combined with the site’s enhanced production capabilities, position CPChem to meet increasing customer needs across the continent and beyond.
This expansion not only represents a major investment in CPChem’s European operations but also aligns with the company’s broader growth and sustainability objectives. By combining capacity growth with technological upgrades aimed at efficiency and environmental stewardship, CPChem continues to strengthen its role as a key supplier in the global specialty chemicals sector.
