Management of Chevron Phillips Chemical has given the green light for a 20% expansion of low viscosity polyalphaolefins (PAO) capacity at its Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown, Texas to 10,000 t/y. Construction of the new facility will begin in April 2016 with completion and startup expected by mid-2017.

The additional capacity will help to meet increasing demand for high-performance lubricants in automotive and industrial applications as demand for higher energy efficiency and high-quality basestocks continues to grow, the company said. It also will improve process safety and overall unit efficiencies while reducing waste.

Feedstock for the expanded production will come from the recent 100,000 t/y expansion of normal alpha olefins (NAO) capacity at Cedar Bayou. “This additional capacity enables us to expand with our customer base to meet the future requirements of the industry," said Miles Oberton, global PAO business manager Chevron Phillips Chemical regards itself as a leader in the development and production of PAOs, which it markets under the brand name Synfluid.