Chevron Oronite completes expansion of Jurong Island plant

SINGAPORE - United States fuel additives maker Chevron Oronite on Tuesday marked the completion of expansion works at its Singapore plant, as it ramps up capacity to meet growing demand in the region.

Production capacity at the 23 ha Jurong Island facility has doubled since the plant opened in 1999, taking into account all other upgrades.

The latest expansion works, which took place over the past two years, included increased overall storage capacity for raw materials and intermediate products, a new quality assurance lab, and an expanded central control room.

Chevron Oronite - part of Chevron Corp - says that the plant is already the largest additives manufacturing facility in the Asia-Pacific region and the expansion will help meet the expected increase in lubricant demand in growing markets such as China and India.

"These past two years have been exciting because we've been working hard to position ourselves to serve our customers better than ever," said Mr Jirong Xiao, vice-president for sales and marketing at Chevron Oronite.

"Most gratifying is that, despite the enormous complexities of undertaking such large scale construction in a fully operating facility, we were able to execute this project safely and in a manner that was seamless to our customers."

The additives produced by the plant are a key ingredient in lubricants, which are then used in engines of passenger cars, heavy-duty trucks, marine vessels, tractors and other vehicles and equipment.

Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said at the ceremony that companies in the lubricant additives segment have invested over $400 million into Singapore over the last two years.

Additional developments planned in the near future, he added.

"With the energy and chemicals industry in Singapore poised for continued growth, Singaporeans have a wide spectrum of exciting job opportunities on offer, ranging from commercial and research roles, to manufacturing and operations jobs," said Mr Lim.

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