Chevron Phillips Chemicals has finalized plans to invest in an expansion of polyalphaolefins (PAO) capacity at its Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown, Texas, USA.

Capacity will rise by 10,000 t/y, or roughly 20%, to a total of 58,000 t/y. The additional feedstock required will be sourced from Chevron Phillips’ normal alpha olefins (NAO) plant at the site which was expanded by 100,000 t/y last year.

Construction is scheduled to start in April 2016 with start-up expected by mid-2017.

The company said the project will also improve process safety and overall efficiency while reducing waste generation.

The expansion is designed to meet rising demand for high-performance lubricants in automotive and industrial applications, such as engine and gear oils and greases, Chevron Phillips said.

The company markets its PAOs under the name Synfluid.