Puraglobe will begin producing API Group III base oils later this month as the upgrade to its Troeglitz, Germany, rerefinery comes to a close, the company told Lube Report.
The facility, which previously produced only Group II oils, will have capacity to produce 50,000 metric tons per year of Group III. With this start-up we will have converted 50 percent of our production from Group II+ into Group III, explained Puraglobes Chief Executive Officer and President Andreas Schueppel in an interview.
Photo courtesy of Puraglobe
The Troeglitz rerefinery has the capability to produce 100,000 tons per year of rerefined base oils, and marks Puraglobe’s first venture into producing Group III base oils.
After confirming earlier this year that the plant was in compliance with project requirements, the facility has begun the cold commission phase, which will be completed early this month.
Cold commissioning includes dry and wet commissioning. During the former process, tests are run without solvents or process fluids. Wet commissioning, on the other hand, occurs when water or solvents are introduced in the systems and subsystems for testing purposes.
Hot commissioning, or the introduction of design process fluids, is set to begin in early June and is the last phase before the plant can start-up. Puraglobe expects continuous production to occur in the second half of this month.
Frankfurt, Germany-based Puraglobe will continue its effort to produce Group III through its U.S. joint venture, Puraglobe Florida, with U.S. rerefiner NexLube Tampa. The JV will complete NexLubes Group III rerefinery in Florida by the end of next year.