Total has inaugurated a new lubricants oil blending plant, located in the Kaluga region of Russia.
Image: Total’s new oil and lubricants plant in Russia. Photo: Courtesy of Total.
Total opened the plant on 15 October in the presence of Kaluga Region Governor, Anatoly Artamonov, and Total chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné.
The blending and production plant will let Total to localize production of lubricants for the Russian market. The plant was constructed with an investment of $50m and it has been designed to initially produce 40,000 tons of automotive and industrial lubricants per year, with a scale-up option to produce 70,000 tons per year.
The company stated that this plant is equipped with a fully automated blending system and modern filling lines and covers an area of 7 hectares of Vorsino industrial park in the Kaluga region.
Construction of the plant is claimed to have been completed in less than two years. Its operations are expected to result in creating 50 new working positions onsite.
Patrick Pouyanné said: “As illustrated by our commitment to major LNG projects in the Arctic, Russia has become a key country for Total. In addition to our upstream activities, Russia is also one of the highest priority development markets for our Marketing & Services and downstream products, especially lubricants.
“With this production & blending facility opening in Kaluga today, we are showing our strong dedication to our Russian customers. This new plant will strengthen our position in the Russian and Central Asian markets. It is fully in line with our strategy to grow profitability in developing markets and contribute strongly to the Group’s financial performance.”
Following the launch of the plant, Total Vostok, a subsidiary in Russia of the marketing & services division of Total, intends to become a major player in the segment of premium automotive and industrial lubricants in the Russian market.
Besides serving Russian market, Total Vostok plans to ship products to a number of countries in Central Asia and to Belarus.
Total Lubricants is a global manufacturer and marketer of engine oils and lubricants, with 35 production plants worldwide and more than 5,800 employees in more than 100 countries.